Venue for Conferences & Training

An Ideal Venue and Location for Conferences & Training Programmes on Climate Action and Sustainability

Green Skibbereen CLG has set up a Centre of Excellence for Climate Action and Sustainability (CECAS) at Myross Wood House and grounds. The property which was previously occupied by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is an ideal venue for Conferences, Training Programmes and other events and activities that have a focus on sustainability, climate action and biodiversity.

Myross Wood House was originally a country house dating from the late 18th century purchased by the MSH in 1946 as a retreat centre. The house is situated off the main N71 road from Cork City to Killarney in close proximity to the village cluster of Leap, Union Hall and Glandore. It sits within a demesne of 100 acres of mainly woodland with a sea frontage onto a shallow inlet of Glandore Harbour. Part of the estate is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for the Killarney Fern.

A Hub for building resilience and climate action

Communities in rural and remote areas are disadvantaged in terms of infrastructure, jobs, and affordable housing, vulnerable to the impact of economic change, and likely to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic and by climate change due to a heavy reliance on tourism and agriculture for jobs.

Green Skibbereen CLG aims to build and nurture sustainability and resilience in communities in West Cork to cope with these existing and anticipated challenges as we emerge from the Covid 19 crisis and face up to climate change. We will help promote resilience through advocating and supporting economic activity around green solutions for homes and businesses and leading the way in upskilling people to take up employment in this sector as demand increases.

Our ambition, in partnership with relevant sectoral organisations and interests, is to provide the skills in West Cork to underpin sustainable and skilled employment to help offset the heavy reliance on seasonal and insecure jobs.

We will promote resilience through advocating and supporting research, knowledge, and economic activity around green solutions for homes, farms, and businesses and leading the way in up-skilling people to take up employment in these sectors as demand increases.

Activities at Myross Wood House

Our proposed activities include:

hosting events to promote awareness and understanding of the need for community action on climate change in the region; giving consultants and contractors on energy efficiency and renewable energy, forestry, and agriculture, will have an opportunity to participate and contribute their know-how
develop a community-based research and development center for practical solutions to climate change, efficient energy, forestry, and sustainable agriculture, that will support green jobs and innovation.
develop a self-financing model, with support from commercial sponsorship, and client fees, to offer programmes on sustainable energy, environment, eco-design, green building project development and management, sustainable agriculture, forestry, and land management that will underpin the transition to the green economy and support Ireland’s efforts to achieve targets on climate action.

The setting up of the CECAS project will have a number of positive long-term impacts on the local area, including :

Act as a catalyst to develop start-ups, micro and small to medium enterprises that will be at the leading edge in applying technology and innovation to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and improved sustainability.
Provide practical support for the Programme for Government’s commitment to a 7% average yearly reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Position West Cork and County Cork at the forefront of research and development into practical, applied solutions addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable communities.