Help in the Gardens of a Country House Spring & Summer 2025

Germany

5

Perfect experience. Dara is an open, honest, and inspiring host. Tasks were diverse and meaningful—sometimes even meditative. It's not a place to relax all day; you're expected to contribute. The house is remote, so be comfortable with solitude. If you're motivated, flexible, and ready to help, you'll love it here. I felt truly useful and could apply my creative and practical skills. One of the best experiences of my life. 5 stars! Charakters are limitless but i can Tell you much more. If you have any questions just ask me.

4 months ago

Spain

5

Daragh was a fantastic host. Very welcoming and generous. She has plenty of fantastic lore about the guest house and the area, as well as DIY experience you can learn from! The area is beautiful and town is a 2 mile bike ride away through a lovely isolated road. Two friendly dogs, a loving cat and plenty of chickens if you like animals. Amazing golf course for walking next door.

10 months ago

Spain

5

I have been working at the guest house for a month and it was wonderful. I had two objectives before going, to discover a new country and improve my English and I have completely fulfilled both. In the end I have been working all days more hours than I should. This month it has been difficult for me to understand what I could use to make my meals, I insisted several times on the foods that I did not like and they did not listen to me. I am very grateful for the walks with Daragh and her dogs, talking and learning english, and im sure i will keep this memorys for the rest of my life :)

12 months ago

Chile

5

My experience as a volunteer at the host was exceptional. Daragh, the hostess is natural, always made sure I had everything I needed and more, she made me feel like part of the family. The surroundings are magical, with breathtaking views and charming tranquility. The facilities are comfortable and welcoming, making my stay even more enjoyable. Her authenticity and generosity are unmatched, I get to admire her deeply. I will never forget this experience. Thank you Daragh for everything! J&J

over 1 year ago

Daragh replied

Thank You Javier for your super kind feedback.. it was a wonderful experience hosting you. Thank you for arriving with the attitude to help and get "stuck in" no matter what project I asked you to complete. Your honest and open attitude and your work ethic made such a difference.

I'm so glad you got in touch, you saved me from a long month of work and I loved your great sense of humour.
I tried to leave a complete review for you to make sure future hosts know they should definitely engage with you but I think I messed up submitting it Hoping they get to read my response here.
Come back to Barrow anytime... mi casa es SU casa.

Lithuania

5

My stay at the host was very productive overall. I got along very well with Daragh and collaborated on several creative projects. Daragh was very keen to make sure I was able to eat to my specific diet, provided medicine when feeling unwell and had many interesting and valuable conversations. Additionally I was able to take a holiday abroad whilst leaving my belongings at the host. the host itself is a beautiful and unique location, it is perfect for introverts who might be looking for a rural experience but not necessarily farm work. Also there is a very nice cat named buck, treat him well

over 1 year ago

Daragh replied

Wow -If Marijus applies to be a volunteer at your property do not delay one moment he is the best out there.

Its hard to write a review for someone who has become a great friend. Marijus arrived in October 2023 and left in February 2024. I think this was a superb experience and I enjoyed his company immensely. Calm, measured, unflappable and instantly likeable - easy to please and very low maintenance, he makes virtually no impact on you and very self contained.

Firstly Mariju's arrival is fabulous he integrated so quickly with our small team and adapted swiftly to many changing tasks, he was so kind and gentle with the pet dogs and chickens and looked after them like his own, in fact he rescued a little lost kitten and cared for it so gently.

Marijus is liked by everyone he met. Our family felt like we were losing a son when he sadly decided to move on for study and work.

Not only is Marijus an amazing well read and worldly informed well travelled guy, he is intelligent and super empathetic, he was one of the most genuinely skilled and talented volunteers we have had stay here in over 7 years of hosting.

Marijus has extraordinary building skills and has an intuitive creative finesse which we tapped into and together created one of the most exciting projects we have created to date.

From scratch Marijus designed, specified materials and worked doggedly on several incredible structures built to enhance our property. He retrofitted insulation and wall mortar in a summer garden house making it a cosy dwelling for our volunteers.
Marijus build a 20 foot tall medieval gothic arch door for our wood shed and most elaborate of all he created from scratch one of the most beautiful woodland folly buildings.
"The Chapel" is a wood panelled small garden room with a lantern tower, hand made shingles and exquisite hand carvings throughout. I will never do justice to Marijus' skills .

As a volunteer he was kind and caring and responded so reassuringly to manage the property when I was suddenly taken to hospital with an emergency. My stress levels lowered knowing Marijus was calmly carrying on and taking on a huge daily responsibility while I was in care for 2 weeks .
I will forever be indebted to Marijus for that as I dont know what would have happened if he wasn't in residence..

I could go on and on with examples oj his building and carpentry talent and the quality of his personality and Im sure Im missing loads of details - suffice to say Marijus was incredible, and shared far beyond the effort levels of a normal volunteer.

United States

5

A piece of paradise in paradise. I enjoyed stay at the host. It is a nice balance of work and play. Most people might mind the changing Irish weather, but it was heaven to me. If you like quite and picturesque, as well as duty, dirty hands in the garden, and straightforward conversations, this place is for you.

over 1 year ago

Daragh replied

You are a delight Kesh, belting out Shirley Bassey songs at the tops of our lungs as we pulled weeds together might not be straightforward to some people... but it felt very normal to you and I. What a lot of fun you are. Thanks for sharing your time with us in Barrow.

United States

2

To mention to positives first, the area is gorgeous and I absolutely loved the dogs (especially the little cocker spaniel Betty.) There is a beach nearby that is a wonder to access. Importantly, it should be noted I left this stay early for very specific reasons. There were moments that I felt my safety and well-being were not a priority. I recommend this stay strictly only for couples, as the isolation is quite a factor, and be aware that the work load can be more than advertised. I would be happy to answer any further questions regarding this experience!

9 months ago

Australia

4

If you are looking for a volunteering opportunity to get back in touch with nature the guest house is it with serene gardens & the ocean at your doorstep not to mention the chickens,dogs&most importantly Buck the cat That being said this job is HARD WORK! you will work from 8:00-1:30 (I often worked til 1:30/2:00) with no break & no down time, it is go-go-go the whole time (I stood still for 37 seconds on coffee 'break' before being given something else to do) I loved my time at the guest house, the other staff are amazing&become like a family, I loved sunny afternoons lying in the grass with Buck

11 months ago

Daragh replied

Thanks once again Emily for all your effort. I've left a glowing review for you without mentioning any of the negatives. Emily to be fair you did forget to mention that as a thank you for your work we did pay for you to go on a whale watching trip and many little snacks and meal gifts were brought to you to say thank you for working the 5 hours and the moment you covered me for a check in.

. I am pleased that you mentioned it's hard work here. This is very useful for other future volunteers who are reading the reviews because we do not want volunteers to come here who think they're staying on a holiday in a five-star hotel. no successful B&B business is quiet in a seasonal environment. It's not accurate that you didn't get a break during your 5 hours....after the breakfast service you took the 15-20 minute break that all of the full time staff take. you were there with them outside every single day. That made me sound like a slave driver and I am not that!

Also you forgot to mention that any guest tips were also shared equally amongst the volunteers and the staff . So for that reason the same amount of effort should have been offered to qualify for that I think that's fair also.
And because you did do the full 5 hours you volunteered for we openly shared equally the tips with you.
So in balance yes there's a lot of work here that's why we're lucky enough to be a blessing to offer volunteer opportunities to travellers with full accommodations in a private room with all the meal requests covered..... but with the volunteers we do ask people to commit to their share of the workload in return for nice calm pleasant inclusive and comfortable space to spend all your free time and days off.

Best of luck with your travels Emily I hope your review helps other people who do not mind working coming to stay at Barrow.

Brazil

4

Working at the guest house was a great experience, a very beautiful place with good people. Daragh is a good host, she will do her best to help you with your problems. The work reeally is hard, in the same way that she provides you with good accommodation, she will also be charged, So apply if you are really sure that you will be able to carry out the tasks requested. If you are looking for a quiet place you will certainly like it here. Thank you very much for the opportunity and for your knowledge! OBS Buck is the best part of the experience, please take care of him and be kind!

about 1 year ago

United States

4

The setting which you are surrounded in is absolutely beautiful. If you want to learn what it takes to run a property like this, Daragh is always sharing her insights. The friendliness of the other employees and the house pets (cat, dog and chickens) made the guest house feel comforting. It is a remote part of Ireland, you will most likely be the only volunteer, and there is no public transport nearby. The nearest towns are over an hour or two by foot. Thus, it can be quite boring and lonely. The workload can shift through the day from what was explained in the morning, which can be frustrating.

about 1 year ago

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