Sonairte — Local services in The Municipal District of Laytown — Bettystown

Sonairte is located on a historically significant farm complex on the banks of the River Nanny, near Laytown in County Meath. Since its founding, it has steadily developed—both in terms of its physical facilities and its status as an environmental organization, visitor attraction, and educational center. The site, which now covers about ten acres, is held on a long-term lease.

Renovations have clearly been guided by the center's ecological philosophy, especially in the choice of building materials, use of renewable energy, and energy conservation.

To be honest, though, the grounds seemed a bit neglected and didn’t make a strong impression. The idea behind the place is wonderful, and I’d love to bring my kids here to connect with nature—especially with the chance to try berries and other fruits right from the garden. But it definitely needs more care and attention.

I believe with some extra effort and organization, especially involving volunteers, the place could really be transformed into...

We went to visit the Fairy village that we had heard about, with our two young children. I asked the person behind the counter if it was still open. They responded "yes", and asked how do we get there and was told to go into the garden and follow the trail and we would see it.

After 20 minutes of walking around brambles and no signage, we felt completely lost. I tried to call back to the office but got an answer machine asking to email any questions. What use is this?

We gave up, returned back to the desk and asked the person again. They then said they didn't know where the fairy village was! I asked why they had told us to follow the trail, and they said they were sorry they were just "filling". We left hugely disappointed and every though they said they were sorry, what good was this to a little girl who was looking forward to it.

The place seems really poorly run, with little or no care to attention to detail. Felt more like a commune than anything resembling a local...

Our national ecology Centre. This is an incredible place to visit. It has an eco shop, where you can buy cleaning supplies and a range of food. They sell their own fresh fruit and veg, as well. There's a vegan cafe which has a lovely selection of food and coffee.

There is a lovely nature walk (dogs welcome but must be kept on a lead) and you can visit the gardens. The cafe provides coffee, tea and a selection of vegan cakes and hot food.

They run courses on a variety of subjects which can be booked online. A real treasure and a...