Farm diversification is taking on ever more inventive forms, with everything from glamping pods to farm shops helping farmers generate extra income.

One Tipperary farmer has gone in a different direction, creating a unique sauna experience that makes the most of the farm's historic setting and spectacular castle views.

Dwayne Stanley farms with his father, Raymond, and uncle, Gilbert, in Brittas, just outside Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

In addition to working on the farm, Dwayne has also been running Castle View Sauna just offset from their farmyard since April of this year.

After many long conversations with his family, he decided to take the plunge and construction of the sauna began in late 2025.

Dwayne Stanley has always balanced his farming life with sport and physical activity, and was a prominent member of Thurles Rugby Football Club.

After Dwayne retired from rugby, he got involved in various fitness activities from crossfit, hyrox, and recovery and was always a fan of saunas.

"I never got the same love for the ones - saunas and steamrooms - in the swimming pools, but whatever it is about the outdoor saunas, I actually love them to bits.

"I suppose between that and being here the whole time, working full-time on the farm, I decided I'd put up a sauna here and open it to the public," said Dwayne.

Farming operation

In between the sauna development, the Stanleys have also been running a busy farm operation.

He said: "We've 110 sucklers, we are calving at the moment; we started last week.

"We sell them in the mart at nearly two years-of-age, we also buy in dairy calves off local dairy farmers," Stanley said.

The family also recently built a large calf-shed capable of hosting 120 calves.

Last year, they had 75 calves in the shed with JFC automatic feeders, a system which has worked very well, according to Dwayne.

The plan is to transition to calving solely in the autumn, which means the Stanleys will calve up to 100 cows in the same season.

The plan then, according to Dwayne, is to buy 120 calves in the spring and run the operations parallel to one and other.

He aims to have "two markets to work off with income" and to run the sauna alongside the farm.

"It's (the sauna) looking promising at the moment, that can run along the farm here in Brittas as well," he added.

History of the farm

The Stanley farm is steeped in hundreds of years of history, which Dwayne's father, Raymond Stanley, has tried his best to preserve.

According to Raymond, a castle was first built on the site in the 1400s. However, it fell into disrepair and was subsequently knocked by Major Henry Langley to build a replacement.

Langley also built the house that currently sits next to the castle - titled Brittas Castle - on the Stanley farm in 1820.

Work on Brittas Castle was abandoned in 1834 after the major was struck by a falling stone on site and killed.

Construction of the castle never resumed, and it now sits today in a semi-complete state.

Langley's wife held onto it for a number of years before putting the land up for sale, eventually to be bought by Colonel William Knox of Mayo.

Knox was on his way to see a property he was going to buy in Clonmel when he stopped in Thurles for a meal and subsequently heard of Langley's residence.

Knox travelled the short trip from Thurles to Brittas and ended up buying the site, which was covered in stone that was being worked on for the castle.

Knox sold the stone to the local council, who used it for railway stations and bridges in the local area.

William Knox handed down the land to his eldest son Fitzroy, who in turn was succeeded by his son, John Knox.

According to Raymond Stanley, John Knox never married, and in turn left the land to a niece of his.

John Knox's niece did not want the land and after three generations, what is now known locally as Knox's Woods resorted back to the Langley name, with Raymond Stanley's aunt inheriting it in 1966.

Farm benefits from sauna

While there is an economic benefit to diversifying income like the Stanleys have done with their farm, for Dwayne Stanley, the social aspect is also a major reward.

He said: "Farming is a seven days a week, and most of it can be quite an isolated job.

"What I think is really nice is having this here (the sauna), I'd work from Monday to Friday, all farming, and then I can switch onto the sauna at the weekend."

Dwayne said one of the the best parts of running the sauna is chatting to people who are coming to use the facilities.

"People used to be coming and going, friends/neighbours used be helping out, you just don't get that as much anymore.

"A lot more farmers are isolated, it's a lot quieter and they're just gone so busy that they don't see what's going on around them.

"I could easily fall into that role, but, I think with this, it keeps you realising what else is out there, and people coming in and they're having these lovely conversations, that's what I really liked about this as well," said Dwayne.