Pat showcases his refurbished farm buildings in Hackballscross

Pat McMahon is a suckler farmer located in North County Louth. The farm lies between two of the roads that meet at Hackballscross.

Pat is a current applicant in the Green Low Carbon Agri- Environmental Scheme (GLAS). He is also a former winner of the National Tidy Farm Awards. Pat was able to avail of the GLAS Traditional Farm buildings Grant Scheme managed by the National Heritage Council on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine which is funded by the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme – The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in Europe. Pat held an open day on the farm to showcase traditional farm buildings that he has recently made massive improvements to. It is an area that garners massive interest from farmers with over 100 people in attendance on the day.

In depth research was carried out on Pats behalf with regards to the history of the buildings as well as what grants were available. These buildings date back to the late 1800s. The buildings form an exterior of an old farm courtyard. In by-gone times, it provided a meeting point for local people where they danced and played music. In more recent times, the buildings were used for storing and bruising grain. Remnants of such activities still remain within the buildings to this day. The appearance of the buildings are traditional to the area and remains so following restoration.

The slates started to fall off some of the roofs after storm Ophelia so he knew he would have to do something with it for safety reasons if for nothing else, Pat explained. Pat put a lot of time researching what was available through the grant and also the history of the buildings on the farm which were built in the late 1700’s. It is important for anyone to know from the outset that the grant is aimed at conserving traditional buildings and not restoring them. “Minimum intervention is key”, Pat explains. Pat worked closely with Anna Meehan, Project Manager from the Heritage Council on the project. Anna also organised a seminar in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone last year and invited all participants around Ireland who were going to be grant aided. Pat said that to have all those people in the one room talking about the same topic was inspiring.

It is about “preserving what is there more than anything else”, Pat explained. He got approval for the project in mid 2018 but getting started wasn’t as straight forward as expected. He had to get a bat/bird survey done and found out that bats used the buildings. The bat/bird survey was carried out by Donna Mullen from Bat Conservation Ireland. Following this survey a derogation licence under the Wildlife Acts 1976 was required due to the presence of bats in the building. Bat Conservation Ireland is a charity dedicated to the conservation of Bats in Ireland. This meant he could only start work on the September 1, 2018.

The first job that was done was to strip off the slates and ridge tiles on the loft. The building itself forms an exterior of an old farm courtyard. In by-gone times, it provided a point for local people where they danced and played music. In more recent times, the building was used for storing and bruising grain. Remnants of these activities remain in the building itself. The appearance of the building is traditional to the area.

Some rafters of the buildings were rotting and had to be spliced. The Heritage Council had no objection to the provision of an additional lower line of collar ties to the roof, which helped to tie the buildings while also maintaining head height. All slate batons were replaced on the roofs. 80% of the slates on the existing roofs were salvaged. The shortfalls of slates were obtained from a local salvage yard. The slates had to be re-instated using copper nails only. The ridge tiles were re-bedded using lime mortar.

A new floor was reinstalled in the loft which Pat said was a great job. All timbers in the buildings were treated for woodworm. Pat replaced all doors to the buildings himself. All they needed was to be sanded down, primed and glossed to match existing doors Pat says the main issues when people go to do up old buildings is water ingress/water getting into a building and destroying the walls. Pat decided to replace all spouting made from cast iron as this is the old method and looks traditional to the building.

There was some lime pointing done on the eaves of the buildings also. Lime can be a difficult material to work with especially at this time of the year.

The biggest factor with lime is the time to get everything cleaned out properly first says Pat. Then to get the lime on, cured and covered. There is a lot of background work with it. Lime is a breathable product and if it is not done properly, it will do damage down the road, Pat outlined.

Work to the lower building beside the loft was postponed. Pat saw a fox climbing a half door to this barn previously, so he says ‘there must be something good in there’. Upon investigation, he discovered a breeding pair of barn owls, happily ensconced with two young owlets nesting between the rafters and gable wall.

According to Birdwatch Ireland, the barn owl is a characteristic farmland bird that has undergone a decline in its geographical range in recent times. It is a red-listed bird of conservation concern in Ireland due to its decline of over 60% in its population over the past 40 years. It is also listed as a Species of European Conservation concern.

“I love traditional buildings,” says Pat, “and I have perfect soil and sand for sustainable building and repairs here.” He laments the loss of skills in rural Ireland. Pat said it was a great project as he had the buildings well maintained previously and it a finishing touch to them. It is clear that the sheds are an integral part of the farmyard.

Pat uses his local Teagasc Advisory Office in Dundalk for advice. His Advisor James Mimnagh submitted the grant application and was followed through by James’ successor Feidhlim Burke. Both Advisors looked after him well throughout the project. Pat takes pride in his work and in the surrounding environment.