06/09/2025
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'I’m sitting in the sun on the porch of an eco cabin in the wilds of west Cork with my funny, kind, poetic 22-year-old son, Caoimh,' writes Adrienna Murphy.
'Caoimh is deeply loving and loved; he’s also non-speaking, autistic, dyspraxic and prone to bouts of sensory stress, dysregulation, mania and autistic joy. In his late teens, Caoimh started having tonic-clonic seizures. Diagnoses of epilepsy and a rare complex disease called Bardet-Biedl syndrome followed. He is disabled to the point of needing two support staff at all times.
'We travelled to west Cork in June and, on arrival, Caoimh was thrilled to plonk himself on the couch at the Harbour Garden Eco Cabin, where he stayed with his supporters Susan Mauchaza, Lucia Hernandez and Oran Hobbs. At a distance from the resort’s main buildings and campsite, up its own tree-lined boreen, the eco cabin is ideally located for Caoimh’s sensitivities.
'At 7am on our first morning, I woke to hear Caoimh running through the site making happy, excited sounds. Lucia and Susan were in swift pursuit. I remained peaceful, unworried by ableist disapproval over my son’s loud, wordless vocalising and his dashing about early in the morning.
'We were here on a disability price rate, at a nature resort that’s not only genuinely eco-friendly, but also genuinely autism and neurodivergent-friendly. Its inclusive, neuroaffirmative ethos gave us confidence in the acceptance, kindness and respect we needed to feel like we could relax.
'Goleen’s co-founders – multi-purpose designer Matt Mills and massage therapist Melanie Furniss – understand the need for such a sanctuary. Mo, their 29-year-old daughter, is autistic, multiply disabled, and has lived with debilitating health issues, including seizures. Mo had been struggling, but over the last few years, creating and living in the sensory paradise that is her Momentum Garden at Goleen Harbour has transformed her life.
'“Through safe space, nervous system regulation, and connection with land and community, I’ve learned what it means to feel safe in the world,” she says. “That changed everything.”'
Read more on the Irish Independent website.