Billy Brennan’s barn, immortalised by poet Patrick Kavanagh, drew people from far and near on that famous July evening. Now, the owners of another barn in Monaghan would like to do the same thing. This barn, at the heart of a renovated farmhouse and rural retreat near Castleblayney, will hopefully boost rural tourism in the area.
The original farmhouse was built 110 years ago by a family who had already been in the area since the 1700s. Ten children were born there in the 1940s and 1950s, and the much-loved home was the setting for many large get-togethers and parties. Family members still talk about a memorable “Irish wake” in the 1950s, when an entire neighbouring family emigrated to the US.
After the family matriarch died in 2009, the house became vacant and dampness began to set in. When people’s busy lives came to a sudden halt during the Covid pandemic, the family began talking about the future of the house.
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