Restoration works have recently been completed on an unusual style of hay barn that is located on a farm in Mullagh, Co. Cavan.
Lakeview Organic Farm, owned by the Shackleton family, is located on the Golden Mile. Speaking to Agriland, Jane Shackleton explained some of the history behind the hay barn, and outlined how the restoration came about.
The hay barn was restored with the help of funding from the Heritage Council and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) via the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme, 2023.
The hay barn was built in the late 1800s by the Mortimer family, who were farming there at the time.
It was historically used for hay storage and the features of the building reflect this. It is a tall building with open sides for airflow, which keeps hay dry.
The Heritage Council identifies the building as having ‘rarity value’ as it is an unusual design, not often seen in Ireland.
Jane explained that the previous owner of the farm, David Mortimer (1834-1912), used to buy and sell cattle and sheep in northern England, and he may have seen the design on his travels.
The farm has been organic certified since 1998, therefore winter housing for livestock is straw bedded. “We use a lot of straw over the winter,” Jane said.
The farm is a suckler to beef farm and the Shackletons are Farming for Nature ambassadors.
The hay barn which was restored will be used to store bedding straw, and is conveniently located close to where the cattle are housed over the winter.
Hay barn restoration timeline
Commenting on some of the challenges experienced in the restoration of the old farm building, Jane said: “We had a tight timeline, the weather was often against us, almost all the slates were rotten, and we had to work around the presence of barn owls and four owlets.
“We applied for the grant in April 2023. A bird and bat survey was undertaken by Donna Mullen. A barn owl nest and the presence of bats were also found. This delayed the start of works, and there was a derogation licence received from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
“Work didn’t begin until October due to the presence of barn owls and four owlets. We waited until they had fledged before commencing work.
Work getting underway:
“This was the first time barn owls have nested in this building, so we were delighted. There are not many nesting records in Cavan but numbers are on the increase.
“We could hear them [owlets] snoring in their nest from 11.00p.m. every evening. The straw in the shed was probably providing a habitat for mice and shrews that the barn owls eat. No rat poison is laid on the farm to reduce risk for owls,” she said.
Owl nest and bat roosts were all left intact, extra barn owl boxes were installed too.
The work was carried out by local building contractor Peter Boylan along with Gerry Fitzpatrick and Hugh Faulkner.
Jane said: “There was a very tight deadline, so we are very grateful to how fast they worked, despite the weather.”
The conservation architect was Robert Kenny, the bird and bat survey was completed by Donna Mullen of Wildlife Surveys, Ireland.
Timber used for the restoration was supplied by Derek McCabe from Roebuck Sawmill, Mountnugent, Co. Cavan. The timber used for the new heads over the archway was sourced locally from the woods in Virginia.
Jane expressed her thanks to Anna Meenan from the Heritage Council for “her guidance and efficiency”, and also gave a special word of thanks to the Heritage Council and Department of Agriculture for the funding support for the project.