A Practical Permaculture Design Course Weekend series
Permaculture is a design system that helps to create sustainable and self-sufficient human habitats and communities by emulating the patterns and relationships found in nature.
Join us for an immersive experience, a change of perspective and to reinvigorate your imagination!
This transformative series of Permaculture Design Course weekends, in the setting of Cloughjordan Ecovillage, will give you hands-on experience and strategies to boost your ability to thrive in this uncertain world.
Each themed weekend is designed as a complete and practical course. Thus, weekend courses can be attended independently or experienced as an in-depth permaculture training, depending on personal projects and interests.
Here’s a preview of the weekends’ themes:
- Growing Better: Sustainable horticulture and regenerative design
- Rethinking, redesigning, retooling: Appropriate technology and old fashioned tools
- Cultivating care, health and wellbeing: holistic approach and social permaculture
- Green and natural building: Infrastructure, shelter and built environment
- Transforming your garden: the power of plants, trees and permaculture planting
The past few years have further revealed the need for our globalised industrial systems to adapt so that our values and quality of life become central to the way we live.
Join the bitesize weekend courses to dive into a sustainable and wellbeing-focused mindset.
The first weekend course, which will emphasise permaculture principles and community resilience, will take place in springtime 2025.
For More Information please Call +353 (0) 505 42683 or email pdc@cultivate.ie
“Permaculture is a way of life that strives to create a sustainable, self-sufficient, and harmonious relationship between people and the earth.”
– Rosemary Morrow
“Permaculture is not just about gardening, it’s about designing sustainable human settlements and rethinking the way we live.”
– David Blume, permaculture teacher and author
Why do the course?
The permaculture design course has become one of the benchmarks accredited courses in sustainability, and as such, is an essential part of the toolkit of real and practical ways to face the difficult challenges of our times. Whether your interest is in building community, organic horticulture or engineering, designing a homestead or how to best navigate the transition to a resilient and more self-reliant society, studying the principles of permaculture and regenerative design will be invaluable.
No prior knowledge is necessary to take the course.
Wondering what to expect from a PDC experience?
Overview and Location
The 6 weekends will be held throughout a year.
Each weekend course runs from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon (finished by approx. 5 pm).
The first weekend will provide a thorough introduction to regenerative design, diving into the key principles and ethics of permaculture.
The other weekends will focus on:
- Regenerative agriculture/horticulture: soil, seeds, compost, agroecology
- Tools and appropriate technology: permaculture tools, energy, inc. FabLab session
- Social permaculture, health and wellbeing
- Infrastructure & built environment: green building, water and wetland systems
- Woodlands, forest gardens, permaculture plants
Content & Highlights
Engaging with local tutors through outdoor classes and hands-on experience, each weekend will offer participants practical sessions, including:
- Forest Gardening
- Tree planting and pruning
- Shelter planning and building
- Practical tools use
- Composting, mulching and scything
- Digital Fabrication
Plus tours of the EcoVillage, Cloughjordan Community Farm, RED GARDENS and FabLab demo.
Course Venues
This training offers a unique hands-on opportunity to gain permaculture skills in Cloughjordan Ecovillage, a unique and innovative project that is striving to create a fresh blueprint for modern sustainable living. The Ecovillage is easy to reach, in the centre of Ireland and approachable by public transport from Cork, Limerick and Dublin approx 1 hr 40 by car from Dublin and 2 hrs by train. The project was created using permaculture design, giving students the opportunity to see the permaculture principles in action within a lively and diverse community.
Located on beautiful land in County Tipperary, and adjacent to the village of Cloughjordan, the Ecovillage features over 50 eco-homes, a renewable energy heating system, a wood-fired bakery, a community farm & our course centre: WeCreate Workspace and FabLab.
For more, see Cloughjordan EcoVillage
As this Permaculture Design Course is theme-based, participants can choose to experience weekend courses independently, or decide to dive deep into permaculture by experiencing them as a full package. The experience has been created to suit the diversity of participants’ goals and interests, being both enjoyable and enriching for everyone.
Accommodation
Options range from camping to affordable accommodation at Django’s Eco-hostel, plus some local B&B options.
For camping, please note the camping area is beautiful and basic, situated in the Ecovillage a two-minute skip from our centre. Campers will stay in the allotments area and have access to the shower and toilets in WeCreate in the mornings and evenings with the building open 8am to 8pm.
As camping in Ireland can be challenging, warm socks, a hat, warm clothes & blankets are often needed, as well as an additional waterproof ground cover for most tents. If you are properly equipped for camping in the Ecovillage you will be rewarded by beautiful and peaceful surroundings in the eco-village.
For camper-van users, you can park at WeCreate parking.
For the Hostel: Book here for Django’s EcoHostel or call Pa at +353 87 256 9348.
For other accommodation options please contact Philippa: philippa@cultivate.ie or tel: +353 505 42683
Food
Included in-course fees are morning and afternoon coffee/tea and biscuits.
As lunch and dinner will not be provided, you will be invited to bring packed meals. Food and drinks can also be purchased in Cloughjordan’s supermarkets, Centra and Murphy’s, located on the Main Street, or in the village’s local shops, Sheelagh na Gig Bookshop which offers delicious coffee and wholefoods, and Cloughjordan Middle Country Café.
Course Materials
Aside from camping gear for the campers, participants should bring; a good pair of shoes, waterproof clothes in case of rain, a notebook and pens.
Participants will need to bring their own lunch each day, but tea and coffee will be provided. Food and drinks can also be purchased in Cloughjordan.
We will supply all equipment needed for practical work, feel free to bring your own work gloves for the cob and forest gardening session if needed.
Transport
Situated 143km from Dublin (Cork 156km, Limerick 57km), Cloughjordan is just off the M7 motorway and easily accessible from all parts of Ireland by bus, car or train.
– Cloughjordan has its own train station and you can book at Irish rail.
– J.J. Kavanagh’s buses run regularly from Dublin Airport to our local towns of Roscrea & Nenagh. Just let us know and we can organise lifts for you from there to Cloughjordan. You can book at JJ Kavanagh & Sons.
How to pay?
COMING SOON
FAQs
People can arrive anytime that day. If camping it’s good to give yourself time to get set up before we meet at 6- 9pm for supper and an orientation meet & greet session.
Usually by around 4 – 4.30pm
Please contact Pa Finucan directly for this – he is: djangoshostel.com / pafinucan@gmail.com or 0872569348
You can put it all together, add {YRNAME}PDC to the transaction and then just drop an email to pdc@cultivate.ie to explain what you’ve included in your payment.
A basic – continental breakfast is included at the Hostel yes, toast, tea, cereal etc. People often supplement this by shopping at the local store as the Hostel has a kitchen for residents to prepare their own food. Campers are welcome to use the WeCreate Centre or the camp kitchen to prepare food.
The PDC Certificate is issued by the Permaculture Association based in the UK, sadly ROI don’t have an association just yet – but we’re working on it! The Certificate requirements are, 75hrs of permaculture study, plus your presentation/design project within a PDC run by accredited teachers. Once the course is completed satisfactorily, you will be presented on the final day with your certificate.
Yes, all students are asked to complete a permaculture design project – this can be done on a piece of land of your choice, or we can provide you with a local Cloughjordan scenario for your project.
We’ll provide you with some reading/ watching material before the course.
Testimonials
“If you’re looking for a pragmatic and inspiring insight into an incredible and life-changing way of living, I can’t recommend this course enough. If you look at society, the future, the climate crisis and modern living and worry its all fucked, this may well change your mind. If you’re looking at a 9-5 doing something you’re indifferent about and a 40 year mortgage just to have somewhere to live and think there must be another way, this might give you an insight to an alternative way to design community.”
– 2020 student
“This course is a unique opportunity for a full immersion in topics fundamental to the transition to a more sustainable society; a great experience supported by passionate and highly skilled people.”
– 2020 student
“The PDC is an intense, whistle-stop tour through the exciting world of permaculture. Led by knowledgeable people who are really trying to implement these principles in their lives.”
– Mags Synnott, 2018 student
