Cloughjordan Ecovillage

A planned village of fifty-five energy-efficient houses on the edge of Cloughjordan, heated by a biomass district system, with an edible landscape, a biodiversity trail and a growing woodland of seventeen thousand native trees. Guided tours leave from the Sheelagh na Gig bookshop on the first Sunday of the month at three.

Two things sit inside the wood. A seven-circuit Celtic labyrinth, built from local stone, one winding path walked slowly. And the community amphitheatre: an outdoor performance space seating three hundred, built, in the village’s own words, using a permaculture design process.

You can stay. There is an eco-hostel on the site, which makes it a place to spend a night rather than an afternoon.