County Sligo retreat accommodation
| country: | Ireland |
| location: | 3 miles east of Castlebaldwin in South Sligo |
| price: | From €16 - €27 per person per night, or from €700 - €1000 to hire for the weekend. |
description
This is Ireland’s quirkiest ecolodge and a finalist in the 'Best Ecological Building in Ireland' award.
Located near Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo, overlooking Lough Arrow and nestling in the heart of Sligo’s rich archaeological countryside, a relaxed fun atmosphere makes our ecolodge a very popular destination at any time of the year. With open fire and large movie screen you can spend time relaxing in the circular entrance hall or reading in the cosy, glass domed library. Alternatively you can explore ancient archaeology sites or surf or walk in the Bricklieve mountains with a qualified guide.
Our ecolodge is a 100ft wide wooden Christmas-pudding shaped ring fort, a green and discreet hobbit-like edifice overlooking Lough Arrow in rural south Sligo. It's aligned to 3 solar events pointing toward the megalithic cairns of Moytura, Carrowkeel and Queen Maeve's on top of Knocknarae. This is a very unusual place for usual & unusual people. The Ecolodge runs year round and needs to be booked in advance. We cater for groups.
The building is available for hire as a specialised Ecolodge / retreat centre / rehearsal space. Dance, theatre, yoga, and new-age groups have all hired it as a rehearsal space or workshop centre.
Alternatively you can take part in any or all of the following:
Explore ancient archaeology sites (archaeology weekends 4 times per year) Surf Walk in the Bricklieve mountains with a qualified guide Partake in the Pilgrim's progress Great cycling and walking immediate to ecolodge Join our marathon movie weekends (films vary, patrons must be 16+ years) Listen to our Sunday sermons (every other Sunday from October)
Pilgrim's progress
Take part in the frequent 2 week Pilgrimage that starts & finishes here. This is a fortnight's pilgrimage like none other; a 250km circuit over bog, cross lakes, islands, up steep hills, by quiet rills, through driving rain and blasts of sun, a full soul discovering endurance. The fulcrum of the Pilgrimage is St. Patrick’s Purgatory at Lough Derg snug in the mountains of South Donegal, a renowned pilgrim goal of Medieval Europe, inspiration for Dante’s Divine Comedy, a reputed entry point into the Underworld. Requires a good pair of worn in boots and an open mind to the myriad religious and natural doors rapped at. Average walking distance per day is 18km / 11 miles.
Located near Castlebaldwin, Co. Sligo, overlooking Lough Arrow and nestling in the heart of Sligo’s rich archaeological countryside, a relaxed fun atmosphere makes our ecolodge a very popular destination at any time of the year. With open fire and large movie screen you can spend time relaxing in the circular entrance hall or reading in the cosy, glass domed library. Alternatively you can explore ancient archaeology sites or surf or walk in the Bricklieve mountains with a qualified guide.
Our ecolodge is a 100ft wide wooden Christmas-pudding shaped ring fort, a green and discreet hobbit-like edifice overlooking Lough Arrow in rural south Sligo. It's aligned to 3 solar events pointing toward the megalithic cairns of Moytura, Carrowkeel and Queen Maeve's on top of Knocknarae. This is a very unusual place for usual & unusual people. The Ecolodge runs year round and needs to be booked in advance. We cater for groups.
special things to do and see here
The building is available for hire as a specialised Ecolodge / retreat centre / rehearsal space. Dance, theatre, yoga, and new-age groups have all hired it as a rehearsal space or workshop centre.
Alternatively you can take part in any or all of the following: Pilgrim's progress
Take part in the frequent 2 week Pilgrimage that starts & finishes here. This is a fortnight's pilgrimage like none other; a 250km circuit over bog, cross lakes, islands, up steep hills, by quiet rills, through driving rain and blasts of sun, a full soul discovering endurance. The fulcrum of the Pilgrimage is St. Patrick’s Purgatory at Lough Derg snug in the mountains of South Donegal, a renowned pilgrim goal of Medieval Europe, inspiration for Dante’s Divine Comedy, a reputed entry point into the Underworld. Requires a good pair of worn in boots and an open mind to the myriad religious and natural doors rapped at. Average walking distance per day is 18km / 11 miles.
rooms, food and facilities
Dorm rooms: There are 2 dorm rooms that act both as dorms for 6 people each but when necessary conveniently become double bedrooms. Double rooms: We have 2 double rooms.
Interior tents: There are also interior tents that can be assembled in the big hall above. These can number from 1-12 tents. They are suitable for quiet couples, good friends and singles. So these can cater for either 12 couples or 12 singles.
Private hire: Occasionally it is possible to hire the building outright, for large family gatherings, private parties or groups. Dance, theatre, yoga, and new-age groups have all hired it as a rehearsal space or workshop centre. Family friendly: We welcome families.
Disabled access: There is wheel chair access to building/ to 1 dorm bedroom and 1 bathroom but not to kitchen.
Pet friendly: Pets welcome by arrangement.
how to find us
Closest airport is Sligo, then Knock with easy connections to UK, then Dublin and Belfast. Nearest train is to Ballymote, nearest bus is to Castlebaldwin.
By car from Dublin head North along N4 towards Sligo. At Castlebaldwin turn right and follow main road through Bow & Arrow cross roads, through Killadoon cross roads. We are 1km beyond Killadoon.
prices
The Ecolodge runs year round and needs to be booked in advance.Double: €27 per person per night
Dorm: €19 - €21 per person per night (depending whether weekday / weekend)
Indoor tent: €16 - €19 per person per night (depending whether weekday / weekend)
| Private hire (self catering): | Low season (Oct-Apr) | High season (May-Sep) |
| Week (7 days) | €1500 | €1900 |
| Weekdays (Mon-Fri) | €800 | €1050 |
| Weekend | €900 | €1000 |
| Bank Holiday weekend | €1050 | €1200 |
| 24 hour hire on weekdays | €250 | €400 |
how this holiday makes a difference
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The building is aerodynamically designed for maximum wind avoidance - to its south west dense copse 700 native Irish trees have been planted - alder, birch, larch and rowan to provide shelter from oncoming gales. The eaves reach to the the ground so as the very slight wall area is never getting full wind force - and never gets rained on. Also 1.5kg of rare and endangered wild Irish flower seed was planted and is spreading.
 The effluent from bathrooms and toilets goes through 2 separate reed bed systems filtered through a deep bed of pea gravel containing differing reeds and irises to cleanse the water. The building is mostly made of wood. The solid uprights are from renewably sourced forests at Florencecourt Estate in Fermanagh and the softer wood roofing is a mix of otherwise useless second cuts from local pine and the outer layers from better cuts of local pine 80% of the insulation is made from glass wool which was otherwise going to be dumped from a disused mushroom farm/ this was supplemented by use of 150 fleeces from local sheeps wool. The entire building was planned around reducing energy embodied materials. For such a large edifice it is hardly seen in the landscape - this is because it sits into the hill - and much of its girth is beneath the ground - it is all gently sloped - with the walls virtually invisible - its mineral felt roof is a green similar to the surrounding fields. It is intended in Spring 2008 to put a living earth roof over the entire 700 sq metres of roof so as to blend the building even more into the landscape. Rain water from the 700 sq metre roof is collected in a 1500 litre tank at the front of the building - it is then pumped through a dirt and dust filter into the building for use in washing and toilet flushing and showering.  The vegetable growing area to the north of the building are manured from our neighbours horse stables (no chemicals involved) and from our wormery, and the compost heap and the wood and turf ash from the fire. The building is heated by geothermal heating powered by renewably sourced energy from 2 onsight wind turbines. There is also solar hot water for showers in summer. There is a wood stove for winter use. The building is carbon neutral. |
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