Castle

There was a big move to improve the lot of the labourer in the late 19th century in Ireland- 50,000 new cottages were built by 1920. Old mud cabins were abandoned in favour of these purpose built homes. They were usually made out of stone and were rendered on the outside. Slates replaced traditional thatch. Inside there were usually three rooms: a living room and two bedrooms with a loft space above. An acre of land allowed for a few animals to be kept, and vegetables grown. Many still survive and are instantly recognisable. This one was spotted on our day out. Ginny and I went on a recce, looking at the old, mainly abandoned,  farmhouses with a view to recording them in the near future. We had a few interesting encounters and met a lot of large dogs, giggling children and pregnant women!