Sign of Age? (Co. Leitrim, Eire)

[Ditch]

My friend and neighbour is renovating his outbuildings. Sadly, he started this only late last year. I.e, I'd been familiar with some crackingly old and derelict sheds and stuff. I've actually sat in them. Looking around me and drooling at their very dilapidation! Now the bugger's gone and put new roofs on them and has gone to strenuous efforts to repair them ~ in completely authentic, original fashion 'mind.

He's doing this not because he's some bleeding heart, ex pat Brit with a taste for the romantic. He's doing it that way because he was born and bred here, from generations of native Leitrim men. He's immensely aware and proud of his heritage. Frankly? I'm rather 'proud' of him. He's a bloody lovely bloke and I've helped him rebuild a hand built stone shed wall. Pretty much as it was originally made, back in 1904. Only real difference being he had Portland Cement. They used to use rough, river sand and lime ..... and old bottles. And straw. In fact, any old **** that'd fill a gap and help hold it all together!

Here's a look at his old cow biers. He's put a new roof on them. But, the rest is pretty much as was:

Here's an original, end wall. All he's done is rip the ivy off and clear the brash around it:

But, here, high up on that wall, and spotted by ye eagle eyed and intrepid Reporter, is my piece de resistance! What a cracking find, eh?

I'm So chuffed to have spotted that!

Just so gutted I never thought to get shots of the Fantastic old interiors, before he 'cleaned up' Inside those biers was Truly Derelict!

 

[Seahorse]

That's just made me realise.... I live in a wee piece of history myself. Old granite built fisherman's cottage, complete with porous original mortar, that means my paint is always flaking off around my doors and windows.

Unfortunately, it's had a couple of fires in its history, so none of the interior is original. Just as well maybe. I don't think I could be bothered with having to take a dump in a bucket and chuck it over the cliff every morning. Some rooms need to be properly plumbed in.

 

[daddybear]

That's just made me realise.... I live in a wee piece of history myself. Old granite built fisherman's cottage, complete with porous original mortar, that means my paint is always flaking off around my doors and windows.

Unfortunately, it's had a couple of fires in its history, so none of the interior is original. Just as well maybe. I don't think I could be bothered with having to take a dump in a bucket and chuck it over the cliff every morning. Some rooms need to be properly plumbed in.

you dont wanna be chucking stuff like that on awindy day!!

 

[Foxylady]

Fabulous old outbuilding. Ah, that's just made me realise something...the outbuildings I've found on explores tend to reflect the history of a place more so than the house because they're usually left as is. Something to look out for from now on!
Love the date! Lovely pics, too.

 

[night crawler]

Now that reminds me of my uncles palce over there.

 

[limpet]

Nice one mate. I really like the "1904". Thats unusual. I bet there is decades worth of swallows guano on the floor and deep rotton hay so much so that the ground is 2 feet higher than it should be. I can smell it now.
That wall has held up well to the battering or our western winds hasnt it? I would have loved to have seen it when it was thatched before the tin roofs.

 

[Ditch]

Appreciate ye appreciation, people

Now I've just written a response to " Limpet ", who I 'know', and have realised I've left everyone else seemingly ignored? Sorry. Long, Friday night! But, I hope the below says anything that needs saying anyway?


Limpet; This is what really sickens me about all this. I've sat in there, sheltering from a torrential down pour. And this was before Pat started 'renovation' work. It Was purest 1904 cow shed!

Ok; The roof was corrugated Rust. Original thatch had long gone. But, so had most of the roof. It was all I could do to keep my *** lit. Water was peppering me, straight through the rotten remnants of the later roof. The wooden struts above my head were about as stable as the ~ yes ~ deep **** beneath my boots. Ye really felt ye needed a respirator to touch anything!

Swallows? I think this place had sunk too low - literally - for swallows. It was so far collapsed that it didn't have the height they like any more. But, I did find a Pied Wagtail nest. Abandoned on whim. Or, maybe, just used and done with? One of these days I'll find an active Pied Wag's nest. God knows I try!

But, now it's largely been cleaned out. Pat's repairing and restoring it. Fifty years from now? Maybe the members of this site will be drooling to see what's in there? Wish to hell I'd taken the shots of what was!