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On my recent rambles around Dingle I came across The Famine Cottage in Ventry. After paying the 3 euro entrance fee to the roguish and chatty landowner – Gabriel we set off up the hill to see what it was about. Set on the edge of the Atlantic ocean almost directly across the road from Dunbeg Fort, the cottage faces the wilds and backs into the hill. Built in the 1840’s by the Earl of Cork, the original cottage was constructed using mud and stone and consisted of two rooms and a loft. It was extended to include a further bedroom beyond the hearth by the Earl who also installed a slate roof on the property – one of the first slate roofs to be installed in the area. The original thatch has since been reinstated giving the cottage back its rustic charm.

I know many of you will be saying this is something to hate about Ireland but it’s just a laughable fact of Irish life that has shaped who we are. I figured that I’d be better tackling it early in this series! At the moment there is a t-shirt, wind breaker, wool coat, flip flops and a pair of wellies in the boot of my car, most people I know are the same – the saying ‘better safe than sorry’ should have been invented by an Irishman trying to prepare for the weather! The guy in the picture above wasn’t affected by the changeable conditions in the Dingle Peninsula this weekend – one minute I was gasping at the beauty of Dunbeg Fort, the next running for cover to avoid being washed off the edge of Ireland! Click on the title to read on…

It has become a national pre-occupation to denounce Ireland and its many evils these days. This series of posts is about the things about Ireland that are great – a bit of positive thinking for these dark times! I will post photographs, stories, people, music and just about anything that inspires me from week to week. This first post is a picture of the Nuns beach, Ballybunnion, Co. Kerry taken in March 2010.

Many people enlist the help of a qualified professional to carry out all the works on their renovation project however there has been a growing movement towards self-builders in an effort to drive down the costs of renovation. While this provides immense personal satisfaction and hands on experience with the project one of the biggest problems encountered is that of safety on site – both for themselves and their property. The following are some of the safety issues and precautions you should be aware of before taking on your renovation. As always I would urge you to engage a fully qualified Engineer to evaluate the structural integrity of the property before you begin any work.

This is Part II of this article – for Part I see – Buying an Irish Cottage – Part I   The Offer  Snowy Cottage, Co. Kerry – Jan 2010 Most properties advertised have a guide price, an indication of its worth as estimated by the Auctioneer.  However, rec …