President Catherine Connolly visited the award-winning social enterprise Common Knowledge in Kilfenora today, marking a proud moment for the organisation and the wider North Clare community.
During the visit, the President met with staff, local volunteers and participants from programmes such as Build School, Field Good Fridays and Queer Sheds. Guests shared personal stories of learning new skills, building confidence and finding a sense of belonging through their connection with Common Knowledge.
The visit also highlighted the team’s ecological restoration work across its fifty acre site, along with recent upgrades to the Kilfenora learning centre that support year round activity.
Following a fireside chat, the President visited the workshop where she worked with instructor Cian Corcoran to assemble a cabinet that will be used for Common Knowledge’s main community event space.
Speaking after the visit, Co-CEO Fionn Kidney said: “It was a real honour to welcome the President to the Burren. Her visit shines a light on the community spirit that has shaped Common Knowledge from the beginning. Everything we do here is rooted in people supporting one another, and today’s gathering reflected that.”
Aoife Hammond, Community Projects Manager at Common Knowledge added:
“Tá cultúr láidir i dTuaisceart an Chláir maidir le comharsana ag cabhrú lena chéile – tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh ár bpobal linn, a chabhraigh leis an áit seo a thógáil, anseo ag am nuair a aithnítear muid ag leibhéal náisiúnta. Táimid an-bhuíoch de gach duine a chabhraigh leis an áit seo a thógáil..”
The visit closed with a handmade gift from one of the organisation’s instructors and a group photograph with staff and local participants.
Common Knowledge is a non-profit social enterprise based on a fifty acre site in the Burren in County Clare. Its mission is to share practical skills for sustainable living and support communities to build resilience through hands-on learning, community engagement and ecological restoration.
Founded in 2021, more than ten thousand people have taken part in its courses, events and programmes, including Build School, DIY & Repair at Home, Field Good Fridays, Common Ground, Queer Sheds and the Rekindle Festival of Lost Skills. The organisation operates a 50 acre learning campus and guesthouse that help fund its mission while restoring its surrounding landscape.
In 2025 Common Knowledge received an award at the inaugural National Social Enterprise Awards and recently was recognised as Best Business with Social Impact at the Clare Business Excellence Awards. As a social enterprise, Common Knowledge generates income as well as receiving support from Rethink Ireland, the Heritage Council, Department of Rural and Community Development, Department of the Environment Climate and Communications, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the European Union through the LEADER scheme, SSE Airtricity, Broadlake Foundation, Clare County Council, Clare Local Development Company and Patagonia.