Roz published in Accommodation, Blog, Eco Weddings, Latest News July 8, 2019

Eco Wedding Venues

Eco Marriage Made in Heaven

Are you a nature lover looking for a unique eco friendly Wedding Venue in Ireland? Our Members at Slieve Aughty Centre offer a magical eco wedding experience that you’ll never forget.

With gorgeously designed rooms, some of which have interlinking balconies (perfect for the Bride and her maid of honour), separate chalet style accommodations and their organic restaurant you can be sure of a unique alternative style wedding that will make your guests sigh with pleasure!

Slieve Aughty offer civil ceremonies, indoor or outdoor and the grounds are seriously cute with a myriad of artistic signage and crafty objects lovingly positioned to make you smile.

With fairy houses, twinkling outdoor lights, chill out areas and even a magical woodland close by, Weddings at Slieve Aughty are truly the stuff of dreams for the nature loving Bride & Groom.

We only cater for one to two weddings per week and can comfortably accommodate up tp 80 guests for your ceremony and meal. Additional guests may be invited to your afters. The venue is exclusively yours with incredible photo opportunities on our 30 acres and in the surrounding landscape. Horses can be a part of your photos or entertainment for kids, and the surrounding 2,000 acres of forestry ensure privacy and peace on your day. Check out the photo gallery to see for yourself.
We offer 3 different all-inclusive packages starting at €78 per person, or you can customise your day. For more details see our brochure.
Guests stay in The Three Towers Eco House, Eco Lodges and glamping cabins. The venue can accommodate up to 32 sharing guests. Other accommodation is available within 10 km. Transport can be arranged. Complimentary accommodation is provided for the Bride & Groom in the Bridal Suite with en-suite pebble bath and access to a balcony with views over the hills and fields.

Discover more about Slieve Aughty here or email weddings@slieveaughtycentre.com to book your personal showcase today.

Roz published in Accommodation, Blog, Family Friendly Events, Latest News, March Events March 12, 2019

Mothers' Day 31st March 2019

Take her to the fabulous Three Towers Organic Restaurant for Mothers Day

Mothers’ Day is only a week or two away – 31st March 2019! Thankfully the team at Three Towers at Slieve Aughty Centre have created a beautiful day out with Lunch to celebrate Mothers Day!

Featuring Mother’s best roast chicken or salmon or Vegan Vegetable Platter, as well as a selection of starters and Grannies Apple Crumble or Vegan Coconut Brownies for dessert. A free gift for every mum as well as free children’s activities (face painting, dress up and arts and crafts).
Come early or stay late to visit the animals, stroll through the organic garden, or sprinkle some fairy dust in the Enchanted Forest. Available from 1pm-8pm
Cafe menu and Sunday brunch available from 12-3pm.

Want to stay the night or the weekend? Book one night and dinner and get 20% off the accommodation, or book 2 nights and mum dines free!
Check out their special offers for Mothers Day
Enter their Facebook share competition Mothers Day to win a dinner for your mum on Mother’s Day!

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, April Events, Crafts, Eco Weddings, March 30, 2016

Activity breaks in Ireland

Family Fun, Activities and EcoTourism at Slieve Aughty Centre, Loughrea, Co Galway

Slieve Aughty Centre (which comprises also of the fabulous Three Towers Eco House and Restaurant) has a great range of events and activities coming up over the next few months including:

Saturday & Sunday May 7-8
CELT Weekend in the Hills
2 days of traditional skills workshops
April 23rd & 24th: Intro to Permaculture and Forest Therapy Walk, 10-4pm
April 24th: Connecting with you Inner Self, 11-5pm
April 24th: Mixed Metal Jewellery, 10-5pm

Pizza Party Fridays Are Back!

Every Friday evening at 7pm enjoy a delicious organic pizza with your choice of toppings, fired up in our clay oven. €5 per child and €10 for adults. Book Now.

For more information on any of the above contact
Slieve Aughty Centre, Kylebrack West, Loughrea, Co. Galway
+353 (0) 90 974 5246 www.slieveaughtycentre.com
Facebook: slieveaughtyequestrianandactivitycentre

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, Events and Tours, Family Friendly Events, June Events, February 1, 2016

Walking Tours and Holidays at Top Of The Rock

2016 Walking Tours in West Cork

Top Of The Rock Walking Tours (and pod park) have a number of interesting walks taking place throughout 2016 including:

St Finbarr’s Pilgrim Walk Easter Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th March 2016.
Leaving aside the spiritual benefits for a moment, this walk is a truly magnificient journey which goes “up and over” three mountain systems and four valleys, namely the Ilen, Mealagh, Ouvane and Lee valley basins.
Sheeps Head and St Finbarr’s Walking week 15th-20th May 2016:
A four day walking tour from the SHEEPS HEAD lighthouse to St Finbarr’s hermitage at GOUGANE BARRA, with five nights’ accommodation at the Top of the Rock Pod Páirc and Walking Centre.

Poets people and places walking week 19th-24th June

A walking tour with Richard Whyte who has a huge love of poetry and all things to do with nature. As one walks with Richard he will pull just the right piece of poetry out of his top pocket and recite it on the spot.
Walking the Sheep’s Head and St Finbarr’s Pilgrim Path for September Walking Week 18th-23rd September
A four day walking tour from the SHEEPS HEAD lighthouse to St Finbarr’s hermitage at GOUGANE BARRA, with five nights’ accommodation at the Top of the Rock Pod Páirc and Walking Centre designed to give you a taste for Irish life and landscape.
For more information on any of the above or to arrange a custom tailored walking tour visit Topoftherock.ie

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, February Events, Latest News, This and That, January 27, 2016

Yoga and Detox Weekend Galway

Yoga and Detox Weekend Slieve Aughty, Ireland

A new start to the year, treat yourself to a breath-taking journey to well-being

Daily yoga class
3 day juice cleanse with mixes of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables
Organic lunch and dinner at The Three Towers Organic Kitchen
Mindfulness walks in Kylebrack Wood
Unconditional love from our furry farm animal therapists
Take time to escape, unwind and recuperate
2 nights shared accommodation at The Three Towers Eco House (single supplement of €20 per night applies)

Slieve Aughty Yoga Weekend 26th-28th February
To book call 090 97 45 246
Email info@slieveaughtycentre.com
www.slieveaughtycentre.com

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, Events and Tours, Family Friendly Events, Kayaking, September 2, 2015

Mournes, Carlingford and Mour

We Love The Mournes!

Last Monday myself and my partner headed up North to visit The Mournes. Whilst we had originally planned to experience the walks and trails we had to cut our visit short.
We had arranged to meet Jennifer Cumming of East Coast Adventure at Warrenpoint along the shores of Carlingford Lough. This was my first time to visit the area and as we arrived there was a large group of seriously excited TY students piling off a coach to begin a sea kayaking activity.
Jennifer had arranged to give us a tour around the various activities on offer at East Coast Adventure and so we set off.
East Coast Adventure offer a range of outdoor activities for kids, teens, adults and groups with accommodation, camping, glamping, customised activities and more with trained friendly staff all along the shores of the very beautiful Carlingford Lough. The scenery is breathtaking and the facilities are second to none. There is so much on offer at East Coast Adventure that it actually took us 3 hours just to have a tour! Mind you we did get along like a house on fire and yapped away for ages – hard not to with such a friendly crew 🙂
The Mourne mountains themselves are a magnificant backdrop to the lough and one that I shall have to get my walking boots out for the next visit, hopefully fitting in a visit to The Mourne Lodge who cater specifically for walkers and hikers as well as nature enthusiasts and we look forward to meeting Mairead and the gang!
We spent the night in Carlingford House B&B which offers beautiful spacious rooms with comfy beds and an award winning breakfast in the morning. We weren’t disappointed. Peter and Irene were so welcoming and after being shown to our room we headed down for a bite to eat in the local village.
Carlingford of course is home to the world famous Carlingford Oyster Company and yes, I hang my head in shame that I simply forgot to order them! I will most definitely be back for these beauties.
On Tuesday we headed to Belfast to meet with BBCNI Weatherman legend Barra Best for lunch – he of the flame hair like myself #Redheads 😉
Barra had some great suggestions for us to include on our next tour including the gobbins cliff walk which looks really fun.
All in all we simply HAVE to get back to the Mournes, we only got to see the tip of the iceberg and it really is so much MOUR(ne) than that!
Thanks again to Martin Carey and Mandy McAvoy of MourneLive.com for the invite.
Useful Sites for Visiting the Mournes and Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula are listed below:

Carlingford.ie
www.mournelive.com
www.eastcoastadventure.com
Carlingfordhouse.com
Themournelodge.com
Carlingfordoystercompany.ie
And if your travelling further up the coast why not visit Sally of Dunnanelly Country House

In the words of Mr Schwarzenegger.. “I’ll Be Back”

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Eco Trip Kindly Sponsored By

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, Latest News, This and That July 17, 2015

Congrats To Crann Og Eco Farm

Congratulations to Gold Certified Ecotourism Operator Crann Og Eco Farm

Well done to all at Crann Og Eco Farm who are celebrating their new Gold Certification!

We are excited to announce we have just been re-certified by Eco Tourism Ireland as a Gold Certified Ecotourism Operator as of July 2015. This is recognised by the The International Ecotourism Society.
This is a real achievement for us and comes after many years of hard work and creativity. Many thanks to Mary Mulvey and Lorraine Grainger of Eco Tourism Ireland for their encouragement and advice throughout the years.
We previously held Silver Certification for our Kids Eco Yoga Day from 2012 to 2014. This new higher certification encompasses all of our activities here at Crann Og Eco Farm and recognises our strong interpretive environmental ethos and reuse, recycling and reduce practices.
Gold Certification ensures our visitors ‘that green means green’. And we have a new website coming soon, so please stay tuned……
Many many thanks to all the friends and volunteers who have helped over the years to make Crann Og Eco Farm what it is today, we could not have done it without you all!
Marion and Flor

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, April Events, Events and Tours, Family Friendly Events, March 11, 2015

Eco Breaks Ireland

Eco Holiday Breaks in Ireland

Looking for a unique holiday break in Ireland that’s in harmony with Nature?

Eco Active Ireland Members all follow the responsible tourism initiative to minimize impact on the natural environment whilst providing fun unique and often educational experiences that all the family can enjoy.

With this in mind and Easter break coming up we have listed a few below to consider:

Tawny Lust Lodge:

Set in the beautiful mountains of Wild Leitrim Nuala is a fountain of warmth and local knowledge and works in tandem with local guides to provide walking & foraging holidays, electric bike tours and canoeing experiences whilst enjoying a great nights’ sleep in her all-mod-cons eco friendly cabin.
Check out her special Easter and Mothers Day Offers here >>

Spend Time on An Eco Farm at Crann Og

Experience the alternative lifestyle first hand! Learn to build with recycled materials and see how community life works on the Crann Óg Eco Farm.
Marion, Flor and the gang at Crann Og have created a very special place in a beautiful setting and offer workshops, yoga and more at their working eco farm. Currently they have a number of weekends and events for all ages coming up which you can check out on their website at Crann-og.net

Top Of The Rock

Top of the Rock Pod Pairc and Walking Centre offers a safe family environment on their unique pod park with all amenities and also motorhome and camping areas available. David and Elizabeth are wonderful hosts and provide lot’s of information on local walking trails and attractions such as the nearby Alpaca farm and offer affordable options for those on tight budgets also. Check out their website topoftherock.ie

An Tí Glas at Leen Organics

If you fancy a weekend of picking your own veg and cooking it up in an fabulous cosy eco friendly house then a weekend at An Tí Glas with Leen Organics, Gort, is for you!
The cottage is well situated for all the attractions Co Clare has to offer including: • The Burren • Cliffs of Moher • Loop Head • Slieve Aughty mountains • Ailwee and Doolin caves • Whale & Dolphin Watching • Surfing in Lahinch • Bunratty Castle and Folk Park …all within an hour’s drive of the house.
Visit them online at www.leenorganics.com

The Three Towers Eco House & Restaurant

Eco does not mean style must go out the window and The Three Towers at Slieve Aughty in Loughrea prove this well. Their unique Moor-inspired decor gives sense of opulence that is grounded by their responsible tourism ethics, no-waste policy and simply fabulous family friendly activities including a fairy woods and horse riding centre. Highly recommended. They have a number of great events coming up including an Easter festival not to be missed. Visit them at thethreetowers.com

Lot’s More Great Eco Destinations

The above are just a taste of what’s on offer for the responsible tourist and I can vouch for the inspiration an Eco break can give you, as you see the many (often small) ways that one can help the earth whilst having a really fabulous time. (check out my ecotour blog from last summer here >>)
Visit our Members Pages here for lot’s more information and ideas on eco friendly things to do in Ireland!
Tell them Roz sent You!

Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, April Events, Easter, Eco Build, February 18, 2015

Easter Eco Breaks in Leitrim

Leitrim Glens Hill Walking Festival

Stunning views and friendly locals are an integral part of the Annual North Leitrim Glens Hill Walking Festival. Based in Leitrim, a little known gem in Ireland’s North West, this festival guarantees visitors a genuine Irish welcome in some of the most beautiful locations in Ireland. Celebrating its 21st birthday this year, the festival is sure to delight all who take part.
Easter April 3-6th 2015
The lovely Nuala of Tawnylust Lodge (and Leitrim Landscaping Guided Walks) has a great offer for those looking to make a break of it!
Special walking offer at Tawnylust Lodge Eco Self-Catering >>
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Roz published in Accommodation, Activities, August Events, Community Hubs, Crafts, January 25, 2015

Events At Crann Og Eco Farm

Crann Og Eco Friendly Accommodation

Crann Og Eco Farm are based in Gort, Co Galway. Last year we met up with Florian and Marion during our nationwide Ecotour and had a tour around the farm which offers a lesson in self sustainability and upcycling!
Crann Og offer eco friendly accommodation plus run a number of events and workshops throughout the year , some of which are listed below:

February 1: Imbolc
March 30 – April 2: Huath Forest School Education Part 1
May 1: Beltaine
June 25 – 28: Moonlodge Sister Meeting
July 9 – 12: Huath Forest School Education Part 2
August 2: Lughnasa
November 2: Samhain

Marion’s yoga classes are on every Monday and Tuesday (please call before coming)and we might be lucky enough to start a weekly belly dance class here in 2015.
Apart from the list above, we are also planning on the following events and workshops:

TeeNature,
Eco Family Days around the Celtic
Year Celebrations,
Weekends designed by us with various activities
Irish Experience weeks, etc.

For the latest updates visit the events page on crann-og.net here >>

Eco Active Social

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