A Charlestown, Co. Mayo, summer dry stock farmer recently completed works on a granary under the Traditional Farm Buildings grant scheme.
“The granary dates back to the 1900s. The building consists of a cow byre with a granary above it and a smaller building to the left which was a pigsty. Both buildings have beautiful flagstone floors,” said Margaret Lundy who farms at Gowel, Charlestown.
“The steps up to the granary had to be rebuilt and the floor, apart from one amazing original tree beam, was fully replaced. The walls were repaired and whitewashed with hot lime. This space was originally used for storing grain,” she stated.
“The whole building was re-pointed and and re-roofed. A bat entrance was modified in the gable wall and spacing over all of the three doors allows access for wildlife.
“Because the granary is situated approximately 300 yards from my farmhouse, across a field, my main challenge was to transport all the materials required to the site.
“It involved transporting by wheelbarrow as ground conditions were not suitable for a tractor,” recalled the Charlestown farmer.
“However, seeing this building as it stands now in the country landscape made all the work and challenge involved worthwhile. It took a lot of hard work but I am delighted to see this building brought back to its original beauty.”
Margaret expressed thanks to the Department of Agriculture; Anna Meenan, traditional farm buildings grant scheme programme manager at the Heritage Council; Àine Doyle for her expert advice as conservation consultant and Jimmy Murphy who carried out the work.