Abbeyleix, Co. Laois
Commence - December 2025
In summer 2026, we're opening Omos - a 16-bedroom guesthouse and 40-seat restaurant set on 4.2 acres just outside the heritage town of Abbeyleix, County Laois.
The name Omos - meaning honour, duty, and respect - reflects our intention behind the project: to create something lasting and meaningful, something with soul. A guesthouse and restaurant that feel like they belong - that reflect our neighbourhood and community, and that generously welcome curiosity, craft, and discovery.
Role Summary:
We are seeking a motivated head-gardener/grower for a 2.5 acre organic productive and ornamental gardens around a new restaurant and guesthouse on the edge of Abbeyleix, Co Laois.
The garden includes naturalistic planting around a historic house, an orchard and wildflower meadow, an old mill pond with native marginal planting, a 0.4 acre walled vegetable garden, and woodland.
Most of the planting will taking place in spring 2026, with the restaurant due to open later in the summer. With this in mind, we are seeking to have our Gardener in place be involved with planting as well as planning the vegetable production.
The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining the gardens and cultivating food and flowers for the restaurant, although some tasks may be contracted out depending on the candidate's skills.
There will be an assistant to accompany this role.
The role itself will include;
Tasks will mainly include the following, depending on season and operational requirements:
- Vegetable seed sowing, cultivation, and harvesting
- Care and maintenance of soft, cane, and top fruit
- Shrub and specimen tree planting and maintenance
- Native meadow management and maintenance
- Weed, disease and pest control using only organic methods
- Shared care and maintenance of compost systems
- Maintenance of herbaceous plantings and climbers, including dead-heading, staking, tying-in, division, feeding, mulching and watering
- Ensure that all tools and machinery are correctly used, maintained and stored
- To work unsupervised and also as a member of the team, communicating effectively with any other staff and contractors
- Seasonal bulb planting as required
- Advising on need for tree surgery and carrying this out where it is within your competence
- Basic maintenance of the drive, paths, terraces and any woodland tracks
- Managing the irrigation system and hand watering as required
- Checking outdoor drains
- Regular communication with other restaurant and guesthouse staff, employers, guests, neighbours and suppliers.
Why Work With Us?
- We're committed to creating a workplace that is nourishing, respectful and inspiring. As part of the Omos team, you can expect:
- A culture grounded in respect, kindness, and professionalism
- A generous salary and benefits
- An amazing daily staff meal, snacks and excellent coffee
- A high-standard, custom-built space with natural light and premium LED lighting (front and back of house).
- Flexibility to contribute ideas and influence the garden's evolution
- Connection to a team and community that values regeneratively grown produce
- Seasonal harvest celebrations and farm-to-table events involving the garden team
- A dedicated staff lounge with a kitchen and views of the market garden
- On-site showers for your comfort
- Uniforms provided and laundered in-house
- A project surrounded by nature, celebrating Irish craft and contemporary design
- Regular guest speakers and collaborative events
Essential requirements:
- Relevant gardening practical experience, ideally including experience growing organic fruit and vegetables within a market garden/restaurant setting
- Personal pride in a high standard of workmanship and attention to detail
- A hands-on, pro-active approach
- Flexibility, reliability and enjoyment of working as part of a team and/or working unsupervised
- Good organisational skills as well as interpersonal communication skills.
- A current clean driving licence
- Legal right to work in Ireland.
