Sara arrived for a week just as I was struck down with a chest infection and unable to do anything!  She was brilliant and took over everything outside.  Learning to deal with the horse, feed the chickens, take the dogs for walks, clean the tunnel and clear huge amounts of brambles!  It was a very […]

We came to Ireland as WWOOFers to spend two months on a small horse farm near Innishannon, west of Cork. We liked Ireland and started strategizing how we could stay longer. Ann was not in the market for WWOOFers at that point but the website for South Reen Farm retreat center sounded like a perfect […]

 Carolyn came from Canada last summer.  A fun person with a great easy going nature.  We had many interesting chats over the time.   she got up one morning, extra early, disappearing on a kayak out to the mouth of the harbour in order to go through the talked of hole in the rock  only […]

Matt and Brittany came to stay for two weeks this November.  What can I say…  So many things were both given and received by listening to each other and appreciating what each of us could bring to the mix.  So very many thanks to you both and for your  great positive energy, with the willingness […]

Dessi and Alex arrived from Spain last winter in the worst of the gales and rain.  Luckily Alex said he was keen on gales so we spent a bit of time travelling to stark spots on the coast to view the waves.  When the gale was at its worst and the tide going over the […]

Wayne and Sheryl arrived from America and stayed a few weeks at East Reen.  I went away for a weeks holiday during their stay and returned to a beautifully painted conservatory (thank you Wayne).  All my cupboards in the kitchen beautifully tidied and labelled (many thanks Sheryl).  They cleared and tidied too many things to […]

Florian came for a week from Germany.  It was late september and after a hot mornings work I suggested a swim.  We dived in from the rocks – yes it was colder than expected! This is the email and recipe he sent on. tried to paint, but it didn’t really work out… And since my […]

Mandy came to East Reen from Taiwan.  She said she could not cook.  However the following recipe was produced and she ended up buying a cookery book from the farmers market.  It was in English entitled “The wok Bible”!  I have to say I was slightly jealous of her find as it was a super […]

Lidong came to East Reen last winter.  He cooked a traditional hot pot having brought most authentic herbs and spices in Cork at the chinese supermarket.  Between the rain and sunshine he did a great job cutting all the ivy from the trees coming up the hill road. I remembered I cooked hot pot at […]