Members of Ireland's first "eco-village" marked International Earth Day yesterday by turning the first sod for site works at the 67-acre farm they acquired for the project in Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary.
The event was the latest milestone in the eco-village's development, which was first proposed in 1999.
"We are delighted to be celebrating the start of infrastructure works on our land," said Martin Maguire, chairman of the member-owned Sustainable Projects Ireland Ltd.
"It is testimony to the hard work of many, many people, including eco-village members, the people of Cloughjordan, our architects and engineers and North Tipperary County Council, that we are now turning the first sod of our pioneering project."
Once the engineering works are complete, the building phase will begin. Houses, some of which include work spaces, as well as apartments and community buildings, will be constructed to the highest ecological standards, as stipulated by the members.
A few sites in the eco-village are still available for sale, Mr Maguire said.
"Our efforts to create a prototype for a sustainable community are ever more important as the magnitude of the planet's impending climate crisis becomes clearer every day," he added.
Full details of the plans are available on the website www.thevillage.ie