For the first time in over 80 years, an authentic Claddagh cottage is to open its half-doors to the people of Galway in one of the oldest villages in the land.
The cottage has been been a labour of love for the family behind the Claddagh Arts Centre who hope to attract locals and visitors alike to take a step back into a world long gone.
The walls have been built with lime mortar and local stone, some sourced from an original thatched Claddagh cottage and then whitewashed in the traditional picturesque way.
A stone fireplace has been added made of locally-sourced stone and the roof was constructed from bog oak rafters, cross members of hazel and willow before being topped with bog scraw and finished in wheaten straw thatch. The floor boasts indigenous flagstone, windows of old-style timber sash with front and backdoor half-doors.
The cottage on Upper Fairhill Road promises to be a hive of activity with workshops on stone and wood carving planned, with the space available for community events such as traditional music nights, Irish language classes and charity fundraisers.
The cottage dovetails into the arts centre where there are traditional bog oak sculptures as well as wood and stone carvings for sale. Two stonemasons and two thatchers were employed to lend their skills to the cottage, but much of the work was done by volunteers recruited from the family.
Cathriona Walsh of the Claddagh Arts Centre has described the idyllic ‘housheen’ as “the only authentic Claddagh cottage in the world”. They have funded the project without any grants or public donations despite a plea on a crowd funding website.
“We applied for so many grants, but nothing ever materialised. They said it was a private enterprise but it’s going to be a museum with the tea brewing and the scones baking over the fire. A place to come for a chat and to relax in our beautiful landscaped gardens,” she explained.
“We haven’t got a final costing but it’s cost at least €50 to €60,000. I and my parents have put the money into it. It’s the final push now, but it’s difficult as I’m going into pensions,” said the 25-year-old accountant.
“The cottage will be a tourist attraction, a huge addition to Galway’s cultural attributes, a museum and a place where descendants from the old Claddagh people can come to learn about their history.”
Already it has proved a magnet for tourists walking around the Claddagh, wondering how something so new could appear so old.
Kay Conroy, who had tried to fundraise to rebuild a Claddagh cottage as far back as 1968 but was unable to get a suitable site, was given the honour of turning the first sod on the build last October.
The Claddagh Arts Centre opened three years ago and has become an unlikely haven for local crafts. The family hope the draw of the thatched cottage will attract even more visitors.
The Claddagh is one of the oldest villages in Ireland with its existence having first been recorded with the arrival of Christianity in the 5th century. Claddagh locals supplied the city with seafood up until the 19th century and hosted regular fish markets.
The original cottages were demolished in 1935 to make way for a local authority estate. With the help of books, photos and the knowledge of locals, the family have gone to a lot of effort to ensure the cottage’s authenticity in dimensions, materials, layout and contents.
Initially the plans were given the thumbs down by planners, who complained about unauthorised uses on the site, including the sale of firewood and turf and physiotherapy services. They also found that elements of the original design did not accord with a traditional cottage and requested the Centre to liaise with the Council’s Heritage Officer to address concerns over the accuracy of certain elements.
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