Ireland’s first Eco-Village

The Cloughjordan Ecovillage is an internationally recognized destination for learning about sustainable living. The pioneering idea behind this project started in 1999 with the aspiration of low-carbon living. After many painstaking years of setting up a company, choosing a location, acquiring funding, and attracting like-minded people from diverse backgrounds, the first house was finally built-in 2009. To date, there are 55 homes with 100 residents living in high-performance green homes, an enterprise center, a bakery, allotments, and a hostel. The community has also planted over 20,000 trees, is run on Ireland’s largest renewable energy district heating system, and has established a community farm. They are now registered as an educational charity and have a steady trail of students, both from schools and universities, who come to learn in the eco-friendly enterprise center. This is a continuously evolving project that has many important environmental lessons to teach the rest of us and deserves our full support.