# Cottage On The Bog



## Ditch (May 5, 2009)

Ok. This was one of the first 'Explores' that Dean' O and I set out to crack over the past 'Long Weekend'. He'd actually mentioned this place to me years ago. But, as it was just in the context of some derelict cottage, somewhere out there in the wider world, I just sort of accepted that this was another of those things Dean had the drop on me about.

See, while Dean O's actually less than half my age, he's lived here much of his own life. Me? I'm a newb. Only been here three years now. And I've spent that entire three years following the same old pattern; Travelling down the road into town, and back. A to B. B to A. Never really deviated. No reason to. Wouldn't know where I was heading. I'd probably just use up energy and time.

Oh, and I should just point one other thing out here; Dean O' can Drive. Has done for years. Couple a young man with a motor into a place simply _formed_ of endless, twisting, un named, single lane tracks to 'Ballygodknowswhere' and I guess ye get one thing; Plonk an older, heart diseased as hell, knackered old fart in the same position? " *Taxi!!!* Yes, please. I want to get into town ..... ". Thus I've spent three years _Gagging_ to stop off and Explore a Pill Box along the road there. Too far to walk. Too expensive to stop around for 

But I digress ..... Dean O's a bit of a 'Gun Freak'. Guns do things for Dean ~ ye know what I'm saying? 'Un Healthy F*cking Interest!'. But, hey, we all have our ways, eh? More on mine later. But, this all revolves around a .303 round. Yeppers. I'm finally settling into my story now. The .303 round. The Solicitor. The Gypsys ..... Nah. Never mind that bit. I'll tell ye about that later. Else where.

So; Dean's come to me one time, not so long ago, and told me how he's found this Live .303 round. Says he was mouching around in some derelict, disused cottage and found it stood up there, on a window sill.

Yeah. Ye thinking like I was thinking! Co. Leitrim is a _Border_ County. Uh huh ..... Just up the road from us is Ballinamore. Even today, ye'd be better Not to stop off for a drink there. The locals smile at Brit's, sure. Because I don't believe they ever found that guys body! 

But, that was 'Back in the day'. This is 'Yesterday'. But it was Still a Live .303 round. And it was placed, Recently, on a window sill. In THIS cottage .....





*Ground Zero*







Did That have ye thinking? Well, Ok. Dean O' and I rather Had each other 'Thinking' over this one too! Only, then we were chatting to Gerry, a local Solicitor, one night in the Local and a far more mundane truth came out: Seems Gerry's Dad owns the land this wreck stands on. 'Somehow', el Path', our Dean O', got the conversation round to things that make big holes appear ~ in people ~ and this damn .303 round came up.

Gerry, with smiling innocence, peed all over our dark suspicions. He explained that an area close by had been used as a Firing Range by one or another perfectly regular (I take it; Though I Am death as a post!) army. So it was that people were for ever picking up bullets around there. Natural breathing of the earth simply sucked them in, then spat them out. But, yeppers: Place was a virtual ammo dump. And someone had obviously found one. Wandered along examining it. Then just placed it on the window ledge of the old cottage.

Oh well. It was _better_, while it lasted, eh? And so, sadly, I'm sure this particular Explore was. Dean O' was rather crest fallen to find just how far it had collapsed in the last bear year. But we did our best. Here's the rest of my shots. I'll annotate them for ye. Though much of what I might say will be my best 'educated guess'. I'm not That up on these things, yet .....




*Main Fireplace*






This is where I first scrambled over the bramble covered rocks, grasping tenuously at a completely rotten cupboards back, to get a view inside. I figure this must have formed the 'Parlour', or maybe even the kitchen? I'm really not sure. It seems to be a small room. The kitchen, in these places, often being bigger than the parlours. The kitchen certainly forming the centre of family home life, after a day of hellish labour. 'Food, Feet up and F*ck It; I'm Knackered!'




*Main Chimney*






The eye naturally follows up to this. More so because we'd come in from the opposite end of the structure. There a quite different chimney had caught my eye.




*Stone Work*





First though, here's a shot of the stone work, typical of the entire building. This is how people built their own homes, a century or so back. They just grubbed up stones, such as I have all over my own land, where ever I decide to drive a fence post!What ever vast, cataclysmic force of nature tore Eire from the greater, Continental land plates certainly had some effects.

Our mountains were forged. Great areas of solid rock thrusting out of the earth. Like some fist of an entombed and angry god. The 'Dust', thrown out by these monumental eruptions of primeval and prehistoric natural force, was scattered far and wide. Rolled and spread yet further by the seemingly almost non stop and torrential rains. 

This environment then, forged by the ruthless hand of unforgiving nature, produced and moulded the hardy folk so proud to call themselves native Irish. And it was they who hefted stone upon stone. Bonded only with sparse, rough sand dug from river beds and mixed with the Lime they produced in Kilns ~ such as shown Here ~ and there lived lives of rigour and toil.




*A Poignant Reminder *





Old horse 'Blinkers'. Found resting in what would have been a cupboard. Their size suggests, to me, they may have been more suited to a donkey than a horse. The donkey too having been a central part of the old way of life here. No tractors in those days. Not for the working man. The donkey would have represented the family motor and more. The Dog may be 'Mans Best Friend'. But the donkey ~ and I have both here ~ could, and would, pull a weight far in excess of his meagre bill of keep.




*Spud Sprayer*







In this time of 'Prairie Farms', when vast acreages are turned over to plains of Oil Seed Rape, waving vistas of Wheat, etc. It may be hard to envisage a Farmer setting out before dawn to plod about hand thrown rows of spuds. A copper tank strapped to his back, with leather straps. Endlessly cranking a lever, with one hand, while waving a wand with the other. Spraying his crops. It still goes on today. As it did, back then. Just no more around this old home cottage.




*Window Sides ~ Inside*







Ok. Hands up. I'd initially labelled the above shot as " Window Shutters ". _Are they_ actually Shutters? I honestly don't know. I couldn't see clearly enough whether they'd ever have been able to perform that function. But, I noticed the knob. As if to move them by. 

My own place shows no sign of ever having been shuttered. But, I certainly could have used some, prior to having this 'Double Glazing' installed! I wonder if shutters were the 'posh / better off mans' UPVDG of the last century?




*The Chair Shot*






Found beside the main fireplace. Of course, it might have been moved from anywhere. But; Who would move a chair far from the fire?




*" The Small Room "*






Adjoining directly onto the ' Kitchen'. I'd say this would've been the bedroom of this place. Unfortunately, between my own excitement and inexperience at 'Exploring', matched with the sheer state of dereliction here? I just didn't think to step back and consider such logistics.

To add to my, now, consternation, I believe this is where I found the old .....




*Cooking Pot*






'Unattainable Grail' of so many " Wiccans ", who wouldn't know the meaning of a bad harvest from " Insufficient Funds ", over there. Over here? About as rare as misplaced spectacles at a small supermarkets cash till.

But, now back to the beginning. The first thing that caught my eye, as we approached this place;




*The Iron Chimney*






This, inside, forms the rather rough and ready flue for an otherwise unmarked fire place. There's nothing else to indicate its existence or purpose. Except a steel bar set across the point above where the fire must have been. Look:




*Fire Place To Tin Chimney*






Set into the furthest corner of the biggest 'room'. A bar set, obviously to hang something over that fire. Yet, the " Kiddle Crane " ~ as I was brought up to know the 'Kettle Hanging Iron', be it in a cottage, or over a camp fire ~ always appears to be positioned in the bigger, 'walk in' fire places here. Those built into the structure of the original building. 

What on earth was this fire place and its tin chimney all about? Enquiring minds .....



There. And _That_ should about sort out Anything raised in the 4th, 5th and 7th posts, below? May we start again, gentlemen?


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## james.s (May 5, 2009)

Nice photo, can definitely see that it's sunk a bit there


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## swanseamale47 (May 5, 2009)

Isn't that what estate agents call "classic styling"?


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## krela (May 5, 2009)

A single photo with a link to your website is not a location report... could you either post more content in your reports or start a thread in the 'your websites' forum and post updates to your website that way?

Thanks.


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## oldscrote (May 6, 2009)

krela said:


> A single photo with a link to your website is not a location report... could you either post more content in your reports or start a thread in the 'your websites' forum and post updates to your website that way?
> 
> Thanks.


I hit the website link and got a thingy saying you got one message{a bit pissed so}hit the button,guess what naughty site,I dread to think what I've let into my poor struggling Commodore 64 if ye know what i mean


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## oldscrote (May 6, 2009)

Just checked this link again {twice}and no pop up.So sorry Ditch dunno what happened there but a check thro your systems maybe?


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## Ditch (May 6, 2009)

Aaaaah, Jeeeezuss! What _Is_ going on here???

People, I'm absolutely mortified about this! I swear to god, all I'm trying to do here is send ye to a bona fide PhotoBucket set of albums, where I've spent the last Several days and nights Dragging my shots, so you peeps can enjoy them without every reply ye make Here taking me thirty minutes to get to, because of my own photo's.

Now I've had the above note from the governor and Old Scrote's found who knows what?! On my mares life; I genuinely haven't got a clue what's going on here! I'm gutted! 

Listen; This particular site was one of the least 'photogenic'. I think there's barely half a dozen shots behind that link? May I ask that anyone who - hell; I'll blat the link! Show the shots here. How's that?

Please, people; Believe me when I say I haven't a clue what's happening here. No one else has complained of my other albums. And I have about nine or ten on the 'Bucket site thus far. All perfectly public.

Err ..... Ye don't suppose someone's hacked me, do ye?  If so, I'd sooner shut the lot down. This is the first time I've ever had a Public 'Bucket site.

Opinions? Advice? _Anything_?! Anyone?


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## Pseudonym (May 6, 2009)

OldScrote, I think you clicked on one of the ads on his PhotoBucket page. It's nothing to worry about and should just be that annoying pop up, IE: no malware, but you might want to delete your cookies and cache anyway.

Ditch, your account is fine, don't delete it. If you're really worried about its security, change the password to something nice and strong. 
Then pick a few more of the pics and insert them here. Do you have any info on the site. Was it just a cottage or did it have a commercial use? Why was it built in a bog? When did someone last live there?


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## Ditch (May 6, 2009)

*Sorted It.*

That better?


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## Foxylady (May 6, 2009)

Ditch said:


> That better?



Brilliant! 
Love the place, photos and your write-up, Ditch. Tis interesting, informative and funny as hell.
The Spud Sprayer's a great find...never seen one before...makes you realise the sheer hard work it was to scratch a living.
Excellent stuff.


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## oldscrote (May 6, 2009)

Hey Ditch sorry man it's a great report reminds me of times in County Cork in the early 70s before the tiger economy took off.Once again sorry for the kerfuffle I guess I pressed the wrong button somewhere,beer and computers don't always mix.


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## Dean O (May 6, 2009)

Okay here is the picture of the 303 round i found, just by chains the pic of the window that Ditch has up on here is the window that i found this bullet.


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## sallybear (May 6, 2009)

Great report, pics are brill!! Love that 303 ammo, fired one of those when I was a young cadet many years ago, hurt like hell!!


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## Dean O (May 6, 2009)

sallybear said:


> Great report, pics are brill!! Love that 303 ammo, fired one of those when I was a young cadet many years ago, hurt like hell!!



I bet it did lol.


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## limpet (May 7, 2009)

Excellent Ditch and Dean. I love the narrative Ditch. Good description of the way of life that was had. Pure survival. I reckon west of Ireland is one of the most difficult places to survive in Europe. I garauntee you if our modern lifestyle collapsed and people were forced into a life like that 100 years ago, most of our people wouldnt survive. They are too seperated from rural life now. After they have burned off their fat reserves what are they gonna eat? Also where are they donkeys and carts? Where are the workhorses? Where are the rabbits? We even have EU telling us not to cut turf! Going back to those type of cottages really opens our eyes to the reality of the environment we live in. 

6 keys to Irish survival: sheep, turf, potatoes, donkeys, good thatching.


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## Ditch (May 8, 2009)

Pseudonym said:


> Ditch: Do you have any info on the site. Was it just a cottage or did it have a commercial use? Why was it built in a bog? When did someone last live there?




Sorry, Pseudonym;112293. I've been tied up and have just started to get back on top of things. Wasn't ignoring ye questions 

However, I'm now just a tad shot to ribbons. Best of all? I hardly have a clue!  (How often do ye receive _That_ level of honesty in a response, on line, eh?)

No. I figured out the, probable, _latter_ part of this places history. Bits and pieces I didn't even bother to photograph showed me those clues. But ye own questions have highlighted the spaces in my own understanding. And how very nice it is too, to see that we're not all just a bunch of 'Rubber Necks'. Ye questions convey a real sense of desire to understand social history. I truly appreciate that.

Ok. Leave it with me. I'll be busy 'today', for sure. But I'll be carrying this thought now. I'll discuss it with my local, native friends here. As and when we meet, that is. Make a note in ye own diary, to nudge me, if I don't get back to ye on this. Though ye questions have already taught me another thing about this place: 

It's about more than just morbid, vulture like picking over of the visible remains of the past.

I love this place even more now! Thank you!


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