How a dwelling house would have been constructed in centuries gone by will be explained at a Heritage Week event jointly organised by Dúchas na Sionna and the Shannon Archaeological and Historical Society this Sunday (August 25th).
Taking place at the Hastings Farmhouse site, located next to Shannon crematorium, the event will commence at 2pm and is intended for all ages. It will also include traditional music, light refreshments and short talks on local history. The event will also highlight the project to fully restore the farmhouse and the adjoining barn, as a community, cultural and historical amenity and is part of a project supported under the Heritage Council’s grants programme in 2024.
There will be a demonstration of the techniques employed in the original construction of the house in the early 1800s, using the same local materials, sub-soil from the adjacent field and lime. This demo will also serve to publicise workshops that will take place on site during September, at which participants will receive accredited training in traditional building methods. The workshops will also serve as a proving, verification and testing exercise, in advance of the major restoration project which is expected to commence in 2025.
The project will involve the complete restoration and furnishing of the farmhouse which was lived in until the late 1960s by the Hastings family who arrived in the county in the mid-1840s. The farmhouse, as well as providing a glimpse into the historic landscape before the town, has a unique link to the War of Independence, and the General Lucas story. The project will also include the restoration of the outbuilding which will serve as a community facility for meetings, classes and cultural events. There will be a stand-alone, vernacular-style building to accommodate a kitchen and toilets.
The site is included within a larger field adjoining the planned greenway to Bunratty, all of which has been leased by Clare County Council to Dúchas na Sionna CLG, who will facilitate the restoration and management of the entire site. The company welcomes active involvement from the people of Shannon and further afield.
