The Farmyard

 

The farm house below is where my father was born, as was his father, and so on back we don't know how far. It's a hard place to forget and a good place to remember. We're not sure how old the current dwelling is. We know that it was the house that all of the children of my great-grand father, James Ryan, were born. So it must be at least 150 years old. But its probably far older than that, or at least the site is.

 

 

 

The location of the house was convenient to a fresh water well just 2 minutes walk, a well which many of the locals used. The road that the house is situated is still referred to by the locals as "The Boreen" (literally, "little road"). The road beyond our house can be seen on a map to follow the course of the Bilboa river valley. The importance of the river valley to the people along the boreen cannot be underestimated. From it they would have drawn fish, game, and timber for building, thatching (scallops), fencing, handles for tools, and fuel for the fire.

 

 

 

 

The original cottage had a parlour extension added to it by my grandfather Patrick after he returned from America. I take it that this addition was build early in the century. The cottage was thatched up until circa 1955-70?, with the exception of the parlor, which was slated.

 

 

 

Every summer for many years my aunt Nell and uncles John and Paddy used to come to visit Kylegariff for a few weeks holidays, so It would have been a busy house in those days. My father Gerard, who was living in Birmingham, England at the time used to come over for the summer also. I am told that every spring my grand mother, Mary Kate, used to begin writing letters in the spring to my dad urging him to come home to "help save the hay" with his older brother Tom. At the time Tom lived at home with my grand mother and his brother Jim.

 

 

 

 

Above is a picture of my uncle Jim with one of his nephews. Here we can see the milk cans on the milk stand behind them. Jim was a gentle soul, and was very fond of animals, especially cats and dogs. He took great pleasure in looking after and feeding them throughout his life. His other great passion were flowers. He loved growing dailyas, tulips and other bulb based flowers. Jim was a very popular character around the local area, and was well know and loved by all. He would often call in to see neighbours for a cup of tea (another great passion of his!) and a chat in the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

Above is a picture of my uncle Tom giving four of my cousins a ride on one of our horses. I don't remember Tom very well - I was just aged four when he died. I just have a hazy memory of a tall thin man with a hat who liked to cool his tea before drinking it by pouring it out on a saucer and blowing on it.

 

My grand father Patrick died in 1936 aged 65, leaving a wife and young family. At the time there was a farm labourer who helped out with the farm work, but there would still have been a lot of pressure on my grand mother. I am reliably informed that Tom was a bright student in the local Christian Brothers school. As the eldest son he naturally stood first in line to take on the farm. Appearently when my grand mother pulled him out of school to work the farm the principal wrote home to her urging her to let him finish his studies. I don't think someone in his position had a lot of options then, so he became the man of the house.