Lackan Cottage Farm situated between Castlewellan and Rathfriland is the first tourism venue in Northern Ireland to achieve the Green Key for a sustainable operation.
It has been a labour of love for Steve Golembski-Byrne and his wife Claire who have spent the past seven years working on their small holding pursuing their eco-friendly, sustainable way of life.
The Green Key awards achievement in a range of sustainability standards that can apply to a variety of tourism venues from small B&B’s to large hotels and tourism sites.
We settled down in their bohemian lounge area in Lackan Cottage Farm amidst the calming smell of woodsmoke with a cup of tea and it was Sue Christie, Chairperson of the Board of the Keeping Northern Ireland Beautiful, who opened up the conversation and said: “Their self-catering accommodation now completed is located in rural Northern Ireland around one hour from Belfast. It is a self-catering cottage and the owners, Steve and Claire, live on the farm too near Birch Cottage which has been beautifully renovated using chemical-free, non-toxic, natural materials, sourced as locally as possible.
“Steve and Claire love to recycle and many of the materials have been reclaimed and given a new life. All the bedding, towels and curtains are organic and fair trade. Some windows came from St George’s Church in Belfast, wood for the floor and ceiling came from Clarke Cunningham in Killyleagh. They have adopted a unique lifestyle and must be congratulated for their incredible vision.”
And Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Chief Executive Ian Humphries also deeply impressed with Steve and Claire’s approach said: “We had a check list to go through to see if Lackan Cottage Farm qualified and they had done so much work on their project themselves prior to engaging with us and were so advanced that there was really very little that did not commend this project for going forward for an award. Their farm is so very environmentally friendly and they just ticked all the boxes. They have achieved a very welcome first for Northern Ireland. On behalf of Keep Northern Ireland I would like to congratulate them both on their excellent work.
“This award is a very important and highly recognised award internationally. It is awarded on an annual basis by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.”
Steve said: “We have worked at this for seven years, and renovated our own farm cottage and the tourism eco-cottage in that time. I’ve done all the work virtually on my own. It’s been a long road and has been very rewarding and we are enjoying the comforts of it now.
“The wood we used for building has been sourced in the local area. There is a larch floor and ceiling and the kitchen area is tiled with flags. The walls are made up of lime plaster, and the roof and walls of the cottage which dates back to 1840 are insulated with straw bales.”
Steve explained: “We are completely off the grid here. We don’t have mains electricity, water or sewage. We have a small wind generator, re-cycled solar panels and underfloor heating and we are quite comfortable. And we have wood burners plumbed into the hot water system. We’re delighted that we don’t have heavy fuel bills.
“We are working to a very carefully worked out plan. For example, We have planted several thousand native species of trees to compensate for the environmental impact of people travelling to Lackan Farm. We really care about our eco credentials. Our whole plan is to live sustainably, economically and environmentally.
“Also we are keen to promote the wider environmental attractions of the immediate area and just a short distance away we have the Lackan Bog ASSI. In the summer we get a huge amount of dragon flies around the farm which is great and Claire does a survey on them each year.
“I even dug out a small pond and there are literally hundreds of frogs in it. They make a lovely noise when they are on song. And of course the great benefit of having them as neighbours is that they eat the snails and slugs that attack our vegetable patch.”
Steve and Claire were delighted to be awarded the first Green Key in Northern Ireland, and the only one on the island of Ireland. Claire said: “Green Key appealed to us because the Foundation for Environmental Education has such an amazing track record with the Eco-Schools and Blue Flag beach awards. Their commitment to rigorous standards really is the highest and reflects our own commitment to environmental responsibility.
“It is becoming increasingly apparent that we all have to work together to make changes to our way of life if we don’t want to significantly compromise ours and our children’s future. This is no longer a radical viewpoint, and as a family we are committed to demonstrating how those changes might look.
“At Lackan Cottage Farm we show people that off-grid living doesn’t mean compromising their living standards. Our guests often comment that they are inspired to take ideas that they’ve seen here back home with them. Because the Green Key standards are embedded in our every-day day lives here, people can see how they work in the real world, and are reassured by that.”
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Chairman Sue Christie added: “We are delighted to bring Green Key to Northern Ireland and to recognise the achievements in sustainability that local tourism businesses are attaining. Lackan Cottage Farm is a flagship of what can be achieved when businesses truly embrace sustainability.
“We hope to award more establishments, in all of the Green Key categories – hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, etc. If your establishment would like to be rewarded for your sustainability performance, get in touch and we’ll help you on the path towards an award.
“Guests are very impressed with their stay at Lackan Cottage Farm:
‘Birch Cottage took our breath away. Such a wonderful, functioning cottage. It was great to see that this way of life can be so eco-friendly. I’m sure this place has a positive impact on everyone who stays here. Thanks for teaching us how to be better towards planet earth!’
‘The cottage and your off grid small holding is a credit to you both! It just goes to show there is no reason why people can’t live off grid and be self-sustainable’.
In chatting about the practicalities of the farm, Claire said: “We had twenty chickens at one stage and had a constant supply of fresh eggs, but a fox killed them one night. A few survived, They were the ones that had roosted in the trees. We have one left at the moment that seems to hang out with the cats.
“We grow as much of our food as possible. We are totally organic and mulch our beds to keep the weeds down and do a bit of light strimming. Through the year we have a wide range of vegetables, herbs and fruits. We even grow peaches in our large poly tunnels along with a range of garlic, chard, tomatoes, gherkins and a variety of other vegetables and fruits that grow well in these conditions. Altogether we have around 40 apple trees, which gives us a good crop. And at the end of the season, we make jams, pickles, chutneys, and even a few bottles of wine to enjoy on a winter’s night by the fireside. We are quite well stocked up and even have a few chickens in the freezer.”
Steve and Claire also run eco courses and train people in the sustainable practices of water, recycling materials, recyclable energy, and the use of building and space. They have ran twenty courses to date and have enjoyed superb feedback from their participants.
Steve added: “We cut our own wood from the wood adjacent to the house which provides fuel, annd where we also plant trees. I’ve also planted four different types of willow which we use for a number of uses such as lattice fencing to trellises for growing French beans and other vegetables vertically.
“We have had to address the many challenges this way of life bringsWater from baths and sinks is cleaned on-site, and for the adventurous, the farm provides a composting toilet as well as a rainwater flush toilet.
“The kitchen and garden wastes are mixed with chicken and horse bedding and then used on the vegetable and fruit areas. And there is a small ‘sheugh’ that runs through the farm and I installed a ram pump in it and this feeds water to a large container which I will use to water the fruit and vegetables in the summer. But I will have to test that the water is chemical free first before I put it on the plants in case is loaded with nitrates or other contaminants.
“We have had to look at all of our systems of living and we are happy that we have achieved so much in the few years we have been here. It has been a very enriching and enlightening experience.”
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A Green Key promises guests that they are helping to make a difference on an environmental level. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits. Green Key awards can be obtained by hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants and attractions.
Green Key is run in Northern Ireland by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful as the Northern Ireland member of the Foundation for Environmental Education. (FEE).
And Green Key is a voluntary eco-label awarded to 3,000 hotels and other establishments in 59 countries. It is the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their premises adhere to the strict criteria set by FEE.
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You can find more information about Lackan Cottage Farm on their website.
