The farming past of a Co. Cavan town has been encapsulated in the form of steel-framed wooden gates, made by a local craftsman.
The gates, owned by Cavan native Patrick Ellis, hang in the town of Arva – which once held a fair for local farmers – and were designed and built by metal worker Alfie Dennany.
‘Fair town’
Speaking to AgriLand about the gates and their meaning, Alfie said:
“That yard where it encloses; the cattle of the old fairs used to be held there.
Arva used to be a ‘fair town’ – they used to have cattle fairs every so often – and it used to be held there. There was a bit of history there and Patrick wanted something to represent that.
With the unusual distinction of sitting on the border of three different provinces – Ulster, Leinster and Connacht – Arva was once the place to be on a fair day.
Patrick Ellis also commented, noting that the main fairs were held on March 25, May 1 and November 1 every year – while smaller fairs took place throughout the year.
The yard was owned by Patrick’s grandfather, Tommy Ellis, who charged “one and six” (a shilling and a sixpence) to hold cattle in the enclosure for the day.
Meanwhile, adjoining the house in the yard, there was “the eating house”, ran by Tommy’s wife Josephine, for hungry fair-goers to stop by en route to the event; these would be charged “two and six” for a meat or fish dinner, Patrick added.
From old to new
Based a mile outside Arva, Alfie recognises the rural essence of the area, and spoke about his own farming roots:
“I’d be close to the farming community; when I was younger I used to farm myself – I worked with my dad, he had a dairy farm. We did that for many years.
“I’m just getting off the ground now with my own business,” Alfie explained, noting that he’s made gates of a similar nature for local farms and stables, among other items.
Following 15 years working as a mechanic in Cavan, Alfie decided to turn his hand to something new, seeking something more creative.
“I have made some gates; I was in a full-time job but I quit there about two weeks ago and I’m working on my own at home here. I’m trying to go at it full-time.
“I could make them for farmers; that’s actually something I was hoping to get into a bit more. Your average field gate, making something that’s a little more decorative, that gets you away from your bog-standard gate,” he said.
You can do silhouettes of animals or lettering; a symbol that means something to somebody.
“Gates are pretty much a lot of [what I make] at the minute. A bit of lettering and signage and stuff like that.
“The other thing I’d hope to branch into would be some more decorative stuff, even garden furniture and maybe outdoor lanterns – ornamental items,” Alfie concluded.