Phase 1: free listings
We collect demand and supply, publish no exact private addresses, check basic host authority and practical details, and may propose an introduction. Host and grower remain in control.
Why We Exist
Ireland currently has around 2,500 council allotments. In the 1940s, when wartime food security was a priority, there were 40,000. That’s a 94% collapse — not through any policy decision, but through passive neglect as land got repurposed.
The result: waiting lists of up to 10 years at Dublin’s most popular sites. Fingal County Council has closed its Powerstown and Turvey allotments to new applicants entirely. South Dublin’s sites are waitlisted indefinitely. Cork City runs 2–3 year waits at €1/m².
At the same time, some private, farm and community sites may have growing space that is not currently used. Homegrown is testing whether willing hosts can help meet documented local demand.
Homegrown.ie exists to connect those two groups — without waiting for the government to build more council allotments.
2,500Current Irish allotments
10 yrsRaheny allotment wait (closed)
50,000Denmark’s allotments (same population)
Who Is Behind Homegrown?
Homegrown.ie is operated by Brian as a self-funded commercial pilot. It is not a council service, charity, NGO, community garden network, insurer or legal service. The pilot is testing one practical question: can a clear listings service unlock suitable growing space while public allotment supply remains limited?
The public contact route is hello@homegrown.ie. If you are a landowner, community garden organiser, council officer, journalist, or grower with a data correction, that is the right first channel.
Phase 2: a fuller marketplace
If the pilot works, the next step is clearer public availability, better listing management and documented operational checks. Any later listing or membership fee would be disclosed before it applies.
Not yet
Hosts and growers pay each other directly. Homegrown is researching optional platform-arranged host liability, but no Homegrown policy is active yet. There are no background checks, Garda-vetting or “verified safe” claims, and no implied affiliation with any council or organisation.
What We Do
Listings and enquiries
Adult growers can register demand and authorised hosts can advertise approximate details of a garden, farm corner or organisational site. Homegrown may review possible fit before proposing an introduction.
Contact details are shared only if both parties approve that specific introduction. Homegrown does not guarantee a match or vet either party. Users make the direct seasonal licence and payment themselves.
Allotment Tracker
A working directory of published council allotment information and submitted wait-time reports. Council pages can change; every figure should be read with its review date and checked with the relevant authority.
If you’re on a waiting list, submit your wait time. It helps every grower in Ireland understand what they’re facing.
The Ireland Grows Campaign
The government promised councils a planning framework for allotments by December 2023. It’s now May 2026. It still hasn’t arrived.
We’re running a campaign to pressure the government to publish those overdue guidelines — and to make every council publish an allotment plan.
Grow-Your-Own Guides
Irish-specific content for growers at every level — from first-time gardeners to people making the switch to a plot-share arrangement. Seasonal calendars, beginner guides, cost calculators.
Our Data Sources
The allotment tracker and waiting-list data comes from three sources:
Council websites and direct council responses — We check each of the 31 local authorities' published information on allotment provision, waiting lists, and site status. Some councils publish this openly; others require a direct enquiry.
Crowdsourced submissions — People on waiting lists submit their wait time via our tracker form. This gives us ground-level data that council websites often don't publish, particularly for sites with unofficial or verbal waiting lists.
Media and NGO reporting — We monitor coverage from RTÉ News, The Irish Times, Irish Examiner, and reports from Community Gardens Ireland and Teagasc.
Our current trust and demand review was completed on 26 July 2026. Council information is reviewed page by page and may be older; the relevant authority remains the source of truth. See the demand methodology and changelog. If data is wrong or missing, email us.
Sector References, Not Partnerships
Homegrown.ie links to useful Irish organisations and public resources, but it is not affiliated with them unless a formal relationship is stated in writing. This distinction matters for trust: Homegrown is an independent listings pilot; the organisations below are independent references for community gardening, food growing, horticulture, or local allotment activity.
These links are provided as independent resources. Their appearance here does not mean they endorse, support or partner with Homegrown. We will use an organisation's name or logo in a campaign only with written permission.
Timeline
- April 2026 — Homegrown.ie launches an early plot-share concept, allotment tracker and growing guides.
- May 2026 — Allotment tracker expanded with data from all 31 councils; crowdsourced submissions form goes live; new blog article covers the 3-years-overdue government guidelines.
- May 2026 — Ireland Grows campaign launches on homegrown.ie. Petition targets the Minister for Housing to publish the overdue allotment planning guidelines.
- July 2026 — Trust-and-operations sprint: named operator, corrected relationship language, privacy and consent controls, and the direct seasonal-licence listings model.
- Next — Verify the first suitable hosts, seek professional safety guidance and invite independent organisations to review or support the space-listing drive.
Commercial Disclosure
Homegrown.ie is a self-funded commercial pilot. Pilot listings are free. The approved business model is fixed listing or membership fees plus clearly labelled content revenue; Homegrown does not collect rent or deposits or take a transaction commission. We are also investigating optional platform-arranged host liability through an authorised insurer or broker.
Independent resources are included because they may help Irish growers; inclusion does not imply endorsement, partnership or payment. Any sponsored or affiliate relationship will be labelled at the point of use.
Get in Touch
Data corrections, partnership enquiries, press, or anything else — drop us an email.
hello@homegrown.ie