About

Our family - Clare Watson, Quentin Gargan, our son Luke and Quentin’s son David - live on a 34 acre smallholding outside Bantry. We moved here from Dublin in 1999 to downshift, with plans to build a life of “comfortable sustainability”.

We now live in a grass-roofed strawbale house powered by a 2.5kw wind turbine and photovoltaic panels. Vacuum tube panels provide hot water while a log burning stove heats the home in winter.

The farm has some cattle, Jacob sheep, goats, ducks and hens. Vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers are grown in the greenhouse, polytunnel and gardens.

Our initial move was driven by a desire to wean ourselves off fossil fuels because of their effect on global warming and the environment. But we are now convinced that a move away from oil dependency is equally important because of the implications of peak oil and the inevitable decline in oil production.