Birch Cottage has a new website of its own
Visit the Birch Cottage website to bookWelcome to Lackan Cottage Farm
We’re Steve and Claire Golemboski-Byrne, we live here off grid with our daughter, our dog, cats and horses. We make all our own energy using wind and solar, grow as much of our own food as we can (it varies widely) and have used permaculture design principles to help us create a great place to live.
Here on the website you’ll find stories about the projects we’ve undertaken – what works, what doesn’t. You can come stay in our guest cottage – Birch Cottage and we will show you round, or maybe you just want to find out how to do some of this stuff. Either way, welcome.
Watch with glittering eyes
Every so often life overtakes us - the needs and wants and must-haves creep in and it is so easy to forget that simple is good, and that the days can pass faster than we realise. A terribly moving remembrance of Thomas, and the family he leaves behind, caused me to...
Am I missing a trick?
One of the benefits of the whole living off grid, alternative homes, low impact lifestyle 'thing' is that it is generally seen as something different, (for good or bad) and interesting, by plenty of onlookers. People are often fascinated to see how we 'survive'...
Michael Reynolds Lecture in Dublin
Earthship Biotecture Ireland are holding a lecture with Michael Reynolds in Dublin. Going to book my tickets today - Michael is an inspiring guy and has done some amazing work. Anyone who hasn't seen Garbage Warrior - go and order a copy now. Go on.Michael Reynolds...
Little house
So nearly ours....Solicitors are doing whatever solicitors do, but not terribly quickly - with any luck it will be ours by the end of the month. (We said that last month). Anyhow, 6 acres and a couple of little cottages will hopefully soon be our home, and we can set...
New adventures
Last year was certainly an eventful one - living in the truck-house, working at Lammas, trips to Wales, our Wedding, roundhouse building, being off grid, and so many other amazing things that the list could go on forever. This year isn't going to be any different....
Wind generator ups and downs
For a seemingly simple setup, the wind turbine certainly involves a lot more that I ever thought it would. A lot of folk with 'big' turbines certainly view the small, chinese made end of the market as very suspect, but my view has always been that at least if the...