Creating sustainable value in rural settings is a common challenge across Europe. The 4R Dunhill Rural Hub and Anne Valley share their history of working for small businesses, education and skills, farming and integrated constructed wetlands.
What if the whole of the Anne Valley joined a common vision for positive change and 4 Returns?
The Anne Valley is uniquely positioned it already has
- A distinctive identity and catchment area
- A growing number of landowners are interested in alternative approaches to farming
- Award-winning farm-gate and local artisan food products
- Dunhill Ecopark
- Dunhill Multi Education Centre
- UNESCO Copper Coast Geopark
- Anne Valley Walk, an award-winning 5km accessible linear walking trail between Dunhill and Annestown, developed by local landowners and community
- Villages of Dunhill and Annestown home to sports clubs and facilities, primary school, village hall, local pub etc.
The Dunhill Ecopark, managed by Dunhill Rural Enterprises CLG, is located on 11.5 acres, and houses over 30 businesses across various sectors, including artisan food producers, crafters, wellness offerings, barefoot farm, manufacturing units, remote working hubs, office space and farm shop, while also featuring one of the areas’ first integrated constructed wetlands.
Dunhill Multi-Education Centre (DMEC) is a community-owned education centre located in the Ecopark. In operation for over twenty years, it plays a crucial role in providing educational resources that align with the needs of Ecopark businesses and the wider community. The centre also features co-working spaces, meeting rooms, conference facilities, and areas for community groups to gather with Pobal’s support. The Centre supports this activity with a nationwide training contracting business. It also operates Park Café, a community cafe serving nourishing meals made from local produce often sourced from the Ecopark site.
The following sub-circles build on current foundations and have the potential to deliver significant future value to the Anne Valley and surrounding areas. They are a unique and impressive combination of initiatives that with small to medium investments, could grow to leading sources of inspiration for other rural valleys and similar areas around Ireland. They are also fundamentally interlinked with the other portfolio concepts and the potential for win-win approaches is high.
Dedicated page for each Coming Soon!
- 4 R Rural Education Hub – Offering learning experiences that increase understanding and impact across 4 Returns. Systems & activities to produce knowledge for people to live their lives more sustainably.
- 4 R Regenerative Innovation Hub – Creating regenerative enterprises and meaningful jobs across the 4 Returns.
- 4R Sustainable Dairy Farming – an exploration of how the Anne Valley could become Ireland’s first 4 Returns valley setting a new global standard for dairy farming.
Through this interconnected approach, we’re not just reimagining dairy farming or agriculture—we’re cultivating a thriving ecosystem that generates social, natural, economic, and inspirational returns. It’s a dance of reciprocity, where each element supports and enhances the others, much like the symbiotic relationships found in nature.
As we continue to weave these threads together, we’re revealing a new pattern for bioregional living—one that respects the rhythms of the land, nurtures our communities, and inspires a deep sense of connection to place. This is the essence of our bioregional approach, where innovation, education, and sustainable farming are not separate endeavors, but a single, harmonious expression of our commitment to the land and people of South East Ireland.
Contact Helen Kavanagh, DMEC or Keeley O’Brien, BWL.