Couple seeks history on derelict Mayo home they plan to restore

Trevor and Nicolette Jeffreys were hooked last year when they visited a 15-acre farm and its abandoned cottage near Brackloon school, six kilometres from Ballyhaunis. Sheltered amid hedgerows and peacefully removed from the main road, the property was the couple’s favourite among a dozen they had viewed on a visit to Ireland.

They’ve since purchased the property and have been putting together a restoration plan that will see the slated structure and its adjacent granary carefully restored. The couple is also seeking the history of their derelict farmhouse.

From Norfolk on England’s eastern coast, the Jeffreys are keen to learn more about the previous occupants of the cottage they’ve purchased. 

“We are determined to find out as much of the property’s history as possible,” explained Trevor. “All we have established so far is that it’s been unoccupied as a dwelling for at least 70 years.” 

Their property is located off the R293 Ballyhaunis-Ballaghaderreen road, down a laneway where undulating hills give way to a vast stretch of bogland, pocketed by lakes and patches of evergreen forest, on the horizon that stretches into county Roscommon.

The track has been resurfaced with gravel that the Jeffreys have drawn from a quarry in Ballyhaunis so that delivery trucks can visit. They are now waiting on a container and a mobile home which will be the couple’s base when restoration works commence.

A retired mechanical engineer, Trevor brings experience to the challenge. 

“We have renovated most of our properties over the years and always prefer older properties with some old-world charm. Although this will be by far the largest project to date.” 

The roof of the granary - a two-storey structure designed to dry and store oats and barley - is long gone but the lintels remain intact and the stonework is sound. Jeffreys plans to integrate the structure into the main house, removing a small back kitchen unit that was added on with mass concrete.

A mortar plaster was added with the shapes of blocks traced neatly through it, possibly to lend the house a modern look in the 1960s. Trevor plans to scrape back the mortar to reveal again the stone.

“As far as possible we will be completing the majority of works ourselves,” Trevor explains. “We have family members in the building trade who are familiar with stone construction. However, we will be looking for the services of local trades for the services, water supply, water treatment and off-grid solar solutions.” 

A spirit of adventure, experimentation and scientific enterprise informs Trevor’s efforts in Brackloon. A lifetime as a marine engineer - he worked with Paxman Diesel, who were well known for diesel locomotive power and supply of engines to the world’s navies – took him to vessels around the globe.

His aptitude for paperwork will now be tested as the couple is trying to decide if they apply for the Government’s derelict homes grant, worth up to €70,000, with its various conditions. 

"We have a few options," explains Trevor. "If we are approved for the grants then we are guided by the 13-month time-frame, so application and approval timeline is critical to take full advantage of the seasons. If grants are not applied for or approved then time-frame would be fully flexible based on available funding.” 

An aerial photograph of the property posted by the real estate agent shows the 15 acres are laid out as one large strip, probably the format in which it was originally subdivided by the Land Commission early in the last century.

A hedge of gorse adds a splash of colour, yellow on green, on a cold winter's day of intermittent showers. At the end of the 19th century, pieces of land like this were delineated into homesteads, farms for those who had known only tenancies.

But recent decades have seen the closing up of many of these homesteads, empty cottages whose lands have been absorbed into larger agricultural holdings. And yet while there are empty homesteads to be seen in several directions from the Jeffreys’ cottage, there are also two cottages being worked on within a kilometre of the building, suggesting a demand for these buildings in a current property market starved of new dwellings coming for sale.

Buying a similar small farm in Norfolk would have been prohibitively expensive. 

“UK current land prices can vary - grade ‘A’ farmland can fetch €30,000 an acre upwards depending on location and demand," says Trevor.

Soon this land will once again feed a family. The Jeffreys plan to get some sheep and to produce their own vegetables on the land. 

“We are not farmers but have some knowledge of the industry, it has been part of Nicky’s job role looking at sustainable farming solutions and currently working with Natural Norfolk. The history on my side was simply my grandfather being a tenant farmer, and a very enthusiastic amateur.” 

The convenience of Ireland West Airport, which is just 15 kilometres away, helped make up the couple’s minds.

“The airport will serve as a very useful means of transport for us both and formed part of the decision-making process when we viewed it initially,” explained Trevor.

Trevor has carried out the initial works while living with his dog in a camper van at the site for stretches of several weeks. There’s no mains electricity connection on site but solar panels power up and charge Trevor’s various tools and devices. The imminent arrival of a mobile home should make life more comfortable.

“The campervan offers a reasonably high level of comfort, but not necessarily space, that can be challenging especially when living with a dog. We just have to take full advantage of the outdoor space on the dry days. Low light can be a problem with the solar power but we have backup systems in place and rely mainly on two large power banks that have a built in inverter and batteries.

“Both can be set to charge from the van whilst driving. This particular van we have owned for three years and was converted by myself. It has taken on various memorable trips around Europe, the last trip being Ireland last year, which was when we fell in love with the place.” 

If you have any knowledge of the history of the house at Brackloon, please contact Trevor at trevor.jeffreys43@gmail.com