Life Inside Cloughjordan Ecovillage – A Blueprint for Sustainable Community Living

In this special and historic episode of Constructive Voices, we hand over the mic to our first-ever volunteer, Sarah Austin, a sustainable development practitioner with a passion for biodiversity, food systems, and rural regeneration. Sarah takes the lead in this fascinating deep dive into Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Ireland’s only eco neighbourhood designed to model regenerative, low-impact living. “We seek to live in a regenerative and respectful way, sharing these 64 acres with many other species... to live with as light a footprint on the planet as possible.” – Peadar Kirby Sarah is joined by Peadar Kirby, a resident of Cloughjordan Ecovillage and a retired professor who has spent his academic career studying development models and climate policy. Together, they explore the origins, vision, and everyday life of this pioneering community—and how its lessons can be shared with the world.  “Our greatest asset is one another. The technologies can help, but it's our creativity and collaboration that will truly see us through.” – Peadar Kirby In This Episode, You’ll Learn: What Cloughjordan Ecovillage is: A 64-acre eco neighbourhood integrated into the rural village of Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary. How it began: From an idea in 1990s Dublin to a vibrant, regenerative community. Sustainable living in action: Homes built to top ecological standards A district heating system powered by renewable energy A community-run organic farm feeding residents fresh, local food The power of community: Insight into how genuine interdependence creates resilience, creativity, and a rich cultural life. Governance with purpose: A flat, nature-inspired governance model that supports active participation and shared responsibility. Global connections: Cloughjordan's role in the Global Ecovillage Network and its importance as an educational charity. Tips for other communities: How towns and neighbourhoods can implement small but powerful changes for sustainable living.

Om Podcasten

The Constructive Voices Podcast is all about inspiring change within the construction industry. Television builder, Peter Finn, is our man on the ground who injects his decades of construction experience with his unique sense of humour into the topics he covers. Then we have the gritty, investigative journalist, Henry McDonald, who spent over 25 years writing for The Guardian Newspaper in the UK. These days he does podcasts for us and the Sunday Times and is a freelance journalist for a number of top publications. Behind the scenes, we have Jackie De Burca, who is a creative director, author, media consultant, podcast creator and presenter. We focus on finding great stories within the construction industry about organisations and people who are doing something constructive. Topics include but are not limited to inclusivity, mental and physical health, investigating organisations that are ahead of the pack when it comes to sustainability, collaboration and team building, and initiatives that do social good. We also have our eyes and ears alert for cutting edge technologies and new updates on the industry’s economy and outlook.