9 Year old Sinéad Ní Chonchúir from Ballymorewest and 9 year old Ailishe Finn Ní Shé from Dingle, decided they wanted to fund raise for our community here in Dingle They created and made hair jewellery and even T-shirts that they sold from their stand. They spend a lot of time thinking; organizing; creating and selling their lovely products. At the end of their fund raiser they were able to bring home the incredible amount of € 50!!!.

They dropped by the office where they handed over the money in person to Betsie Konink who gladly accepted it on behalf of the community. We were very impressed! Not only because of the amount they fundraised but also the fact that 2 such very young people can find it in their heart to dedicate their time and put in a lot of effort to help a charity organisation and in this we were the lucky ones! Dear Sinéad and Ailishe From the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU!

During the summer 2012 I came to the Dingle Camphill Community as a summer co-worker for 3 months. In the beginning I hadn't had a concrete idea of what was waiting for me. Because I'm not from a religious and antroposophical background I was a bit afraid not to fit in the community. But this was not the case at all. Between all the members there was and is a big respect and acceptance !
Speaking of the people there : they are all so great. I met so many good, interesting, funny and kindhearted people and we built some true relations with each other.
For me, it was the first time that I was so far away from home for such a long period of time and it was also the first time « working » with adult special needs. The first days of giving care were a little bit difficult but quickly I realised that the person cannot do it by herself and needs my help. It came more and more natural and in the end we had the greatest fun in the bathroom.
Of course my english got better and better every day because we just spoke english together. Even with the people who knew the same languages as me.(because we met in english, it was so natural to continue in this language  ). Mostly I learnt the vocabulary for the household, garden, kitchen and daily life.
As a community we did many things together. For example : cooking, cleaning, working in the different workshops and we even had to run the house (when the houseparents were on holydays).
A very special thing for me was food. I never ate so healthy! Nearly everything that we had on our plate came from the garden, from the farm and from Daisy (milking cow). I was so amazed by that !
A big dificulty was to think of all the little things that I was suposed to remember and in the end I forgot 3/4 of them. But of course you are never alone and the people are offering their help a lot !
There were some situations where I thought I was a bit too young for this expirience and I missed my freedom at some moments. For examle to have just one day off (this means ONE sleep in) was a big change to my student way of life.
But all in all it didn't matter because I had by far the best summer that I ever could imagine to have !
During those 3 month I learnt to always be aware what's happening around me, to think for myself, to cook regulary for 8 or more people, to spin, to knit and a lot more !
I'm so thankfull to all the residents, co-workers and employees for this wonderful time together .

Camphill Dingle June - August 2012
On my last day at Camphill Dingle I was asked to write a blog about my stay there, so that future volunteers would be able to read up a bit on what to expect. But how to prepare you for what lies ahead? Now, all I can do is relate my own story but hopefully you will find it reassuring and helpful for the adventure that is about to commence.
During my journey to Dingle I was extremely anxious about what lay ahead. I had no prior experience and, yes, it was also my first time away from home for longer than three weeks. As soon as I arrived however, these feelings vanished immediately. Eventhough my arrival coincided with the preparations for the annual Open Day, I was welcomed warmly into the community. The first few days I didn't really know what I was supposed to be doing but it didn't matter. The full-time co-workers were extremely caring and gave me time to arrive and get my bearings. However, this did not mean that I was the new girl only allowed to watch. Oh no. As soon as I said that I would like to help wherever I can they gave me small jobs and responsibilities to keep me busy and get to know the people of the community. The Open Day itself was absolutely lovely and well worth a visit if you are around for it. My job was to give children donkey rides, which was immense fun. Walking around in donkey poo and mud all day, trying to pull reluctant donkeys across a field. Fun.
Seriously though, it was amazing. The people in the local community are so nice and supportive, something I had never come across before coming to Camphill. The aftermath of the Open Day felt like the whole community, even the walls of the farm and the vegetables in the garden, breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a huge success and everyone was very proud of what they had achieved. In the following weeks I learnt more about life than I had every learnt at school. Every day I did something new, different and exciting. Whenever I was unsure of what to do and whenever I felt insecure, someone more experienced was by my side to guide me. Very soon I did not need this guidance anymore as they helped me grow in confidence a huge amount. As for the residents of Camphill Dingle? I have never met nicer people before in my entire life! Of course they have bad days as you and I do too but you pretty much instantly fall in love with them and then you just try to make their day better. You can expect Camphill to be full of life changing experiences and you are definitely not the same person when you leave as when you arrived. But that's a good thing. As someone who had just left school and had no idea of what they wanted from life, Camphill gave me the opportunity to explore my strengths as well as my weaknesses and discover things I didn't know about myself. You must surely think that I am painting a pretty picture and leaving out all the bad parts but I can promise you that I am not. Whenever I felt frustrated or sad I had someone to talk to. Of course you will be tired at some point in your stay because one day off a week really isn't much. But even this doesn't affect you too much because you're having such a good time. Now as you are applying to go to Ireland I'm sure you have one burning question: What about the weather? Well, as I was only there during the summer I can only give you a small insight but know this: it does not rain all the time. Granted, July was incredibly wet but there was glorious sunshine in June and August - on some days anyway.
By the time it came for me to leave I really didn't want to. Having thought at the start that three months would be far too long, they ended up going by too quickly. I met some incredible people in Camphill Dingle and am still missing them an enormous amount. I am definitely thinking of returning someday and I hope, that after your stay you will feel the same way.
*Cue cheesy line*: For someone searching for the meaning of life and their purpose within it, Camphill Dingle is the place to go!

Fiona

My community is like a seagull playing with the wind
My community is like waves crashing on the rocks
My community is like a kayak in the swell
My community is like picking juicy sweet blackberries
My community is like getting scratched by the thorns

My home is like a harbour, sometimes with red and green stormlights
My home is like music and singing
My home is like laptops and strange languages
My home is like the smell of frying onions and garlic
My home is like kneading the dough and waiting patiently

and what about me?
I am like the wobble-dolly that always stands up again
I am like the joker that makes people laugh
I am like a sensor asking "how are you?"
I am sometimes peaceful like a hot chocolate in the evening
I am sometimes clumsy and again forgot the butter knives
I am sometimes fast and efficient like a humming hoover
I am sometimes flying with the seagulls when I sit on the cliffs
and play the whistle
I am happy to live the life I chose for.......

-tonnie-

As stormy winter showers rattle against my window I sit and reflect on all that happened in the last year. And I am amazed, or rather overwhelmed by the richness and fullnes of our Camphill life. Apart from all the birthday parties and goodbye parties (which, divided over the year would give us nearly a party a week!!) there were all these special moments, festivals, highlights that can wake us up for the beauty and joy of community life in the very west of Ireland.... There was Imbolc and Candlemas, when we try to help nature to bring light into the earth, there was the Saint Patrick's day Parade, which our community joined for the first time. There were fundraising events throughout the year, from tractor-race to guess-my-pumpkin's-weight, volunteers joined us (welcome Vanessa and Phill and Terry and Mick and Helen!). In March diggers and lorries appeared on our land: the long wished-for farmhouse was going to be built! Completely funded by donations, it seems to me a miracle when I look at the proud beautiful building. In May Ernst and Phill from Botton Village started pulling up the walls, one evening joined by Dominic and his three brothers. A few days later Quentin,a french woofer stood on our doorstep and asked if we had work for 5 days for him. These five days became three months of perfect teamwork with Rob, Dominic and Atilla, and the farm grew and grew. So apart from the money, a LOT of time an work was donated and made it all possible. Thank you everybody for making us and the cows happy!! On the 1st of May a lovely group of big round bumblebees with african drums got all the spectators of the Bealtaine-parade enthusiastic and dancing. What an achievement to make music together, whilst walking through town and thousands of people cheering and applauding, and never miss a beat!.... In May Tom and John arrived and stole our hearts straight away. However, the poor lads had to wait till December before they got a roof above their heads. New coworkers? No, our twin donkeys!.... The beginning of June saw a good friend, Irene, leaving. Irene had joined Camphill Dingle right at the start and moved mountains in the four years she lived with us.Thank you Irene!! The end of June saw a person joining us, who by now proofs to be a good friend: Annmarie. Always sunny and ready for some craic, she has brought a fresh wind into our community. Welcome Annmarie! In summer, as every year, there is the big move of coworkers leaving and coming, weeks of shortage of people and weeks of shortage of beds...And poor Betsie broke her leg in Scotland and was seen driving around and negotiating corridor-bends in a wheelchair. All through the summer we had, on Saturdays, the Open House Cafe in Tigheen, where people could feast on cakes, home-made ice-cream, coffee, tea and cordials after visiting Doonsheane beach...Bad luck it was always rainy and cold on every single saturday. But we did have some happy customers and we'll try again next summer. So, if you don't know what to do on another rainy saturday afternoon in July..... Our 5th Camphill anniversary, on Michaelmas day, was celebrated in the new farmbuilding, a wonderful sight with the big harvesting altar and the beautifully decorated supper tables. We were blessed with sunny weather in October, so that we could get ready for the music week. “Ceol agus Craic” was a great experience who took part in it or who came to the final concert of our “70 strong orchestra”. And now we are heading towards Christmas; Advent seems to be too short this year, rehearsing the Shepherd's Play, baking cokies and stollen, singing songs. We all wish our friends and relatives a warm and cosy Christmastide! What will next year bring us? I reckon as intensive a lifestyle as we had this last year; maybe the building start of our first house? Everything is planned and ready to start, only the money is still missing! So we are grateful for every penny that is fundraised for us, it will all go straight into the building account! Thank you everyone for all your good thoughts and good deeds that make us feel welcome and supported in Dingle!