Open Day 2014

The last week was very busy here in Duffcarrig. We could see people occupied in the workshops doing their best to provide a good supply of cakes, bracelets, cushion covers, jams and other lots of things that were supposed to be sold in the OPEN DAY 2014.

The visitors started to come and slowly we had a big party in Duffcarrig: children playing games and riding horses, families having lunch, a small train taking kids (and grown ups!) from one side of Duffcarrig to the other side, beautiful crafts being sold... so we can tell it was an amazing day!

Thanks everybody for coming. We'll meet again next year!

40 years of Duffcarrig!

This year Camphill Duffcarrig celebrates 40 years of existence. From that February day in 1972 when the community was handed the keys to Duffcarrig House to the well established community for 70 people in 8 houses it has been a long and interesting journey.

We will hold a number of events during the year to celebrate our 40th birthday.

27th May 2012 5pm: Whitsun (Pentecost). Play presentation of Kaspar Hauser in Juniper Hall.

24th June 2012. Family Day for relatives of the people with special needs living in Duffcarrig. We will remember 40 years of growth in our community with recollections from family and friends.

29th July 2012, 2-5pm: Our annual Open Day selling crafts with our fantastic waffles, BBQ and tea, coffee and cakes as well.

31st July-4th August 2012: Cultural Week. Activities to be advised. All our former co-workers and special friends are invited to join us for some or all of this week.

31st August-2nd September: Irish Assembly for Camphill Communities throughout Ireland to come and celebrate 40 years of Camphill in Ireland.

More information about the individual events will be posted as the programmes are developed. Please get in contact if you are interested in attending and would like more information.

Duffcarrig is 40!

On 2nd February 2012 Camphill Duffcarrig held a very special birthday celebration of 40 years as a community. The keys to Duffcarrig House, our first house community, were handed over on 2nd February 1972 by Dorothy Harvey who sold the property to Camphill. The Harvey family had held the property since the early 20th century. The very next day two of the people with special needs that formed the core of our community life drove down from Camphill Glencraig where they were then living to begin life in what was now to be named Camphill Village Community Duffcarrig.

We were lucky enough to have 4 of the people that were there at the very beginning at our special celebration cutting the cake. Two of the people with special needs cutting the cake arrived in Camphill Duffcarrig in February 1972 and are still here 40 years later. We would like to thank them and all those who have contributed their love, enthusiasm, skills and other support to the community over the years.

Camphill Duffcarrig was the first Camphill Community in the Republic of Ireland. Camphill in Ireland is also therefore celebrating 40 years of existence. Those 40 years have seen amazing growth in the size and range of activities undertaken by Camphill. Just have a look at some of the other pages on this website and you will see!

Our celebration on 2nd February was the first in what we hope will be a series of events celebrating and commemorating the achievements of Camphill Duffcarrig and Camphill in Ireland over the past 40 years. We also hope to take some time to reflect on our growth and change during that time in order to get a sense of how we can best contribute to the endeavour of supporting and truly meeting one another into the future.