DETAILED OUTLINE OF PROJECT
IRISH ECO-COTTAGE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
DETAILED OUTLINE OF PROJECT
IRISH ECO-COTTAGE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
CONTEXTUAL ASPECTS
The Irish Eco-Cottage Touism Development Project aims to create a new ‘generic’ branded and uniquely Irish product. (The brand name - relevant and historic, is ECOBOOLEY). The 'Booley' (from the Irish "Buaile') was the temporary summer milking place, usually in upland and remote areas, and hence the name ECOBOOLEY for these short-stay eco-cottages.
Rural Ireland contains countless numbers of abandoned homesteads, all charming and important in their own way, and often located in remote and beautiful parts of the rural landscape.
Such homesteads often have difficulty of access and are not serviced by mains water and electricity supply.
Rather than seeing the problems - of developing such properties as tourism outlets, this project believes that they may present great possibilities as ‘Eco-Tourism’ accommodation outlets.
The concept has many, if not all, positive aspects from - Rural Tourism Development to Environmental Awareness to Heritage and Architectural Conservation.
THE OVERALL PLAN
The overall idea is for the owners of such properties, who are mostly farmers, to reinstate some of those homesteads - using only eco-friendly technologies. These habitable houses would then be let out as self-catering accommodation to the expanding Eco-friendly tourism market.
The plan would be to brand label the concept, using the symbol scheme method, and thus maintain the integrity of the product.
The brand label would also be used as a national marketing tool on the home and overseas markets.
Bord Failte, Teagasc and a Product Providers Organisation, and more than likely others, such as The Irish Energy Centre, An Taisce, Sonairte (National Ecology Centre), Third Level Institutes and some relevant government departments would/could all be involved at some stage in developing the whole concept.
Businesses, both Irish and Foreign, involved in the supply of equipment and expertise in the alternative technology area are also making a critical input to the development of the project.
GENUINE PRODUCT
This project is only interested in a totally genuine approach to the Eco-labelling concept, not in token Eco-friendly gestures.
The standards to be set will be internationally recognised and be easily recognisable.
The brand must deliver on its promise if the concept of the ‘Irish Eco-Cottage’ is to be a success.
IRISH ECOBOOLEY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Work Programme
The project consists of three main stages.
1. RESEARCH INTO SYSTEMS
Initially two broad ‘standards’ were identified (but the 'A' Standard is the one used in this first EcoBooley).
(A) Without the use of non-renewable resources (energy or materials).
(B) With the use of limited non-renewable resources (energy or materials).
(i) ENERGY
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| Lighting | Solar (+ Batteries)
Wind (+ Batteries) |
Gas
Paraffin Mains Electricity (if available) but using ‘Low Energy’ bulbs etc. |
| Heating | Wood Stove
Masonry Heater - Centrally located, gravity feed systems etc. |
? |
| Cooking | Wood Stove
Masonry Heater/Bake Oven ‘Hay-Box’ technology |
Gas
Paraffin (i.e. Primus stove) ? |
( ? = other as yet unknown technology)
(ii) WATER
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| Water Supply/Storage
Drinking |
Transport/Containers
Filtration + Heat Well (Hand, Wind Pump etc.) |
Mains - if available |
| Non-Drinking | Roof
Gravity Water Ram Wind Pump |
Mains - if available |
| Sanitation | Dry/Composting Toilets
? |
Septic Tank + Reed Bed Technology |
| Washing/Grey Water Disposal | Reed Bed/Pond Willow Garden etc. |
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| Body Washing/Showering Facilities | Gravity Fed Systems - See Heating |
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( ? = other as yet unknown technology)
(III) CONSERVATION / RESTORATION / INSULATION
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| Insulation |
? |
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| Conservation/Restoration
Doors Windows Partitions TIMBER Built in furniture Roof Timbers Floor Timbers |
?
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| Paints & Colours |
? |
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| Damp Proofing
Floors |
Modify Ground levels Quarry Tiles Timber Floors |
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| Walls |
Lime Rich Plastics (internal Lime Rich Renders (External) |
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| Roofs |
Thatch Wood Singles ? |
Galvanised Sheeting ? |
( ? = other as yet unknown technology)
(IV) OTHER
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| Food Storage | ‘Appropriate’ Foods
Larder Design Earth Fridges Appropriate StorageContainers ? |
Gas Fridges
Paraffin Fridges ? |
| Clothes Washing | Washing Boards/ Tumblers/Mangles etc. | ? |
| ‘Idle Time’ Problems
(dampness etc.) |
Overall Design
Ventilation Lime Rendering Permeable Paints Stained (rather than painted) timber etc. ? ? |
? |
| Surrounds, Gardens etc. | Organic Principles | ?? |
| Other Issues will have emerged during research phase | ||
( ? = other as yet unknown technology)
2 RESTORATION OF ‘THE LOOBY COTTAGE’
This entails the restoration of an abandoned, but structurally quite sound, labourers cottage (Built c.1890) on the farm of Eamonn Looby in the foothills of the Knockmealdown mountains in south-west Tipperary.
The cottage has immediate walking access to beautiful wooded and mountain countryside and to the way-marked Munster Way.
The Looby farm is farming within the REPS system and has a large supply of firewood, both planted and native.
The restoration involves two phases.
PHASE 1: A detailed structural survey was carried out on the Cottage, taking into account any special or historical features. (see PRELIMINARY TECHNICAL REPORT)
PHASE 2:
(i) A short-listing of the technologies and systems appropriate to the Looby Cottage and surrounds, and acceptable to the owner, were drawn up.
(ii) The actual structural work had to be carried out to specification and under supervision and with detailed record keeping in place.
3 PUBLICITY AND EXTENSION OF PROJECT
(a) The compilation and indexing of the information and approaches.
(b) The dissemination of the information to the widest possible audiences.
The use of workshops/open days including on-site workshops, with suppliers of the technology present, is planned (check INFORMATION & OPEN DAYS)
Also, the production of literature and other material i.e. videos, based on the project and research material..
(c) Make further arrangements with, and amongst, all interested parties so as to mainstream the whole concept, and begin the process of establishing the ‘EcoBooley’ as a viable tourism product. This will involve issues such as standards, marketing and the integration of the ‘EcoBooley' concept into Bord Falte’s Regulatory systems.
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PROJECT COORDINATOR: TERRY CUNNINGHAM, TEAGASC, CLONMEL, CO. TIPPERARY, IRELAND