Our Farm
A small farm in West Cork — rebuilt, lived in, and shared.
Welcome to Elderflower farm
In 2018, we returned from the Middle East to West Cork, drawn back by a place we had always loved. What we found here was not a finished home, but a derelict farmhouse and overgrown land — a blank slate with a lot of work ahead.
We decided to rebuild it ourselves.
Over 18 months, we restored the house from the ground up, learning everything as we went. From carpentry and roofing to stonework and finishes, it became a full family effort. During that time, the four of us lived in a caravan through West Cork winters — cold, challenging, and, in many ways, unforgettable.
What started as a renovation became something more — a way of life.
The renovation
We rebuilt the farmhouse with the same spirit it was first created — by hand, with help, and with care.
Clare took on stonework, learning from our neighbour Mike and drawing on a family connection to the craft. I focused on construction and carpentry, figuring things out as we went. Every part of the house holds that learning — and a lot of trial and error.
It wasn’t always easy, but it’s something we’re deeply proud of.
Our Farmhouse renovation
The farm today
Today, Elderflower Farm is a small, working homestead.
We keep poultry, gather fresh eggs, grow what we can, and work with the land as it changes through the seasons. After clearing old spruce trees, elderflower began to grow naturally across the farm — something we now use to make cordials and elderflower champagne.
Clare also keeps bees, producing small batches of honey when the season allows.
It’s not about scale — it’s about doing things simply, and doing them well.
The Coop
The Coop grew from the same idea.
What began as baking for ourselves turned into something we wanted to share — fresh sourdough, sweet bakes, eggs and produce, sold from a small honesty stand at the roadside.
Everything is made in limited batches, often using what we’ve grown or gathered here on the farm.
Life on the farm
This is our home, not a project on the side.
You’ll meet Rooney, our red setter, who has a habit of greeting every visitor as if they’ve been invited personally. Then there are the cats — Toffee, Lost and Clementine — along with chickens, ducks and whatever else happens to be roaming the place that week.
It’s a lived-in, working place — not curated, not staged.
Our animals
Staying here
Once the house was complete, we wanted to share the place.
We converted old outbuildings into two cabins — The Nest and The Perch — each designed to sit quietly in the landscape, offering a place to slow down and step away.