Strawbale building courses from April to May 2013 at Rock Farm Slane (www.rockfarmslane.com). 3 day - 30 day courses available.

1. www.rockfarm.ie
Load-bearing Strawbale
Building Course,
Rock Farm Slane, Ireland
Rock Farm Ecotourism Ltd is proud to present a series of strawbale building,
clay and lime plastering courses given by Bee Rowan of StrawBuild.org
starting in April this year.
Come and join us for some - or all - of the different phases across 4 weeks, from
mid April to mid May
Everyone welcome, beginners and practitioners alike
Numbers are limited, so book early!
Dates: 17th April – 17th May
Course duration: 3 days to 1 month
Fees: Depends on length of stay. Please enquire at chris@strawbuild.org or
rockfarm.slane@gmail.com
Courses are offered in blocks of 3, 5 and 10 days.
Special discounts apply to those interested in staying for the duration of the
building project.

2. www.rockfarm.ie
Description:
April 17th to 21st: Strawbale building course
5-day strawbale building course. Practical, fun, hands-on building of loadbearing strawbale
farm office, supported with illustrated theory sessions and global examples of different
methods. Starting at the beginning through to compression of the walls and lowering of the
roof. Learning how to work, shape and build with straw and local cutting of our own timber.
Ideal holistic introduction to strawbale building, the first of several strawbale builds in the
historic and beautiful parklands of Slane Castle.
22nd to 26th: Clay plastering
How to prepare detail for clay plastering; how to mix, make, test and apply clay plasters; we
will work with local clay and learn how we can use this amazing resource in our own homes.
A practical course, using a mixture of machinery, tools, hands and feet! With theory
support. Beginners and professional plasterers welcome.
29th to 3rd May: Lime plastering
How to prepare detail for lime rendering; how to mix, make and apply the different layers
of lime, fully supported with the theory of lime, history, and the different types of lime
appropriate for different uses in both strawbale buildings and in our own conventional
buildings. We will use a mixture of machines and hand tools. Beginners and professional
plasterers welcome.

3. www.rockfarm.ie
Cost: Each phase offers a half-board residential course.
Breakfast, refreshments and lunch, with the opportunity of cooking shared dinners, or
eating in the local village.
Standard dormitory accommodation will be available next to Newgrange (Brun Na Boinne)
UNESCO world heritage site. There will also be the opportunity to stay in a luxury yurt and
shepherd’s hut in the glorious and richly historic landscape of Slane Castle for a small
supplement.
Each 5-day residential course will cost £490 (€570) per person with half-board
accommodation. For a full list of costs please contact Carina at Rock Farm Ecotourism.
3-day to 15-day options are also available.
Discounts for those staying for 2 or more phases are available. Please contact Carina Mount
Charles at Rock Farm Ecotourism for details.
Course tutors:
Course tutors will be Bee Rowan and associate of Strawbuild. Bee has 15 years experience,
previously Head of Education for Amazonails, and will share much of that experience with us
all this week.
For Bee, the process is as important as the end build, so it should be a great week of both
learning and fun. Bring your questions, designs, or even clay samples to explore!
Volunteer opportunities:
Volunteer opportunities are available for the full building period (30 days) for which a small
fee to cover accommodation and half board will be charged.