CoolkirkyFarm Living Laboratory
200+ acres of meadows, forestry, hedgerows, and stream. Home to biodiversity monitoring, agricultural research, wellbeing studies, and school education programs. Subject to Purchase.
Where Digital Meets Physical
- Research Site
- Education Centre
- Living Laboratory
Physical Exemplar & Experiment Lab
A picturesque location with unique historic interest, large enough for meaningful mixed farming, with excellent access for school visits. The farm features an extensive internal road network and rich biodiversity features including forestry, copse, meadows, hedgerows, and stream.
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200+ Acres
Diverse landscape of meadows, forestry, and waterways
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Rich Biodiversity
Hedgerows, woodland, meadows, and riparian zones
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Accessible
Extensive internal road network for visitors and researchers
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Historic
Unique heritage features and story
Farm meadows and hedgerows
CoolkirkyFarm landscape
Coolkirky Farm serves as the flagship NatureFirstFarms demonstration site and living laboratory for the entire Coolkirky research ecosystem.
THE FARM
Four Core Functions
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Research Site
Living laboratory for regenerative methods research. Controlled comparisons of regenerative vs. conventional practices. Longitudinal studies with academic partnerships.
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Media Production Hub
The source of rich multimedia content for all Coolkirky programs. Drone footage, livestreams, VR capture, and documentary production.
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Education Centre
Free school visits and educational programs. Biodiversity exploration, nature connection, and understanding where food comes from.
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WellbeingZones Lab
Primary experiment location for WellbeingZones research. Retreat hosting, environmental psychology studies, and place-based wellbeing research.
Researcher residencies and fieldwork
Community gathering events
Nature immersion experiences
Place-based wellbeing studies
Environmental psychology research
Retreat and workshop hosting
Community workshops and events
Environmental science education
Nature connection experiences
Regenerative farming demonstrations
Biodiversity discovery programs
Free school visits and field trips
Training video production
Photography for diaspora engagement
Documentary and educational content
VR experience creation for VRFarm
Livestream and daily update production
Drone and satellite imagery capture
Agricultural therapy studies
Wellbeing impact of farm environments
Human-nature interaction research
Soil health longitudinal tracking
Carbon sequestration measurement
Biodiversity monitoring and enhancement studies
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
What We Can Study Here
VR experience development and testing
AI model training and validation
Satellite imagery ground-truthing
Sensor deployment and calibration
Technology Validation
Agricultural therapy outcomes
Nature connection measurement
Educational program effectiveness
Wellbeing impacts of farm environments
Human-Nature Connection
Acoustic biodiversity monitoring
Hedgerow and woodland ecology
Habitat creation effectiveness
Species monitoring across seasons and years
Biodiversity Enhancement
Water quality improvement studies
Carbon sequestration quantification
Long-term soil health monitoring
Controlled comparisons of regenerative vs. conventional practices
Regenerative Agriculture
CoolkirkyFarm provides a unique environment for research across multiple domains. The combination of controlled farm environment, rich biodiversity, and accessible location creates opportunities for studies that would be difficult elsewhere.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Visitor & Research Programs
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School Visits
Free educational visits for schools. Biodiversity exploration, farm tours, and nature connection activities. Curriculum-aligned programs available.
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Research Residencies
Extended stays for researchers conducting fieldwork. Access to farm facilities, data systems, and local accommodation support.
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Community Events
Public open days, seasonal celebrations, and community gatherings. A place for the local community to connect with the land.
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Diaspora Visits
Hosted experiences for global Irish connecting with Irish farmland. Part of the OurIrishFarm virtual ownership program.
Included with virtual ownership
By arrangement
Free or low-cost
Seasonal calendar
Varies by project
Year-round by application
Free for schools
Term-time by arrangement
PROGRAMS AT THE FARM
How CoolkirkyFarm Connects to Everything
Physical anchor for diaspora engagement. Virtual ownership destination. Heritage story location.
Location for nature-based interventions. Integration with health protocols and citizen science.
Living laboratory for place-based wellbeing research. Retreat hosting and environmental psychology studies.
Primary farm for VR experience development. Continuous capture of drone footage, 360 imagery, and sensor data.
Flagship demonstration site. All practices tested here first. Source of training content and methodologies.
ECOSYSTEM CONNECTION