The March Hare: Spring '99
Issue 20

The pipes are calling

Starling Ray, a former Rabbit, moved on last year to work on the Ecovillage at Burdautien in Ireland. We've stayed in contact and Aaron may go teach a biodiesel course there this fall. As more ecovillages appear in the world, it's often informative to see how different groups approach the task of building a better world.

The Ecovillage at Burdautien is a community initiative to create a model of a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable human settlement. Located on the border between the North and Republic of Ireland, just outside Clones in County Monaghan, the Ecovillage at Burdautien has settled on the site of The Ark, an established permaculture training centre. They're building a village of low-impact dwellings and environmentally conscious businesses, able to sustain itself into the indefinite future. Some of their goals are: land stewardship, human scale economy, low-impact building, consensus decision making, reduced resource use, sustainable technologies, improved quality of life.

A seed group of eight adults and three children has moved to the initial site to create a structure within which the village can develop. Burdautien is working to establish a charitable trust, develop dwellings and businesses on the site, and raise the money to pay for the present and future land, infrastructure, and development of the village. It is hoped that by buying more land, this cross-border settlement will provide an opportunity for cooperation, peace and reconciliation through the region.

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Ecovillage at Burdautien
Clones, Co Monaghan, Eire
Tel:+353 47 52295
Fax:+353 4752049
burdautien@anu.ie