|
|
|
About Us
Mary and Charlie also had a beautiful mare and again
I felt an instant draw towards this tall, powerful
but gentle creature. They would use the mare for
transport to the local village of Dunfanaghy. There
they would get their “groceries” and the all
important chance to catch up on the local gossip. As
they shopped the mare would stand still, tied to a
pole, watching the busy market and when she got
bored she’d often reach out to nudge the horse tied
next to her. Then she’d pull Mary and Charlie home
on the cart up the steep mountain to their remote
cottage up on Horn Head and her reward was a bucket
of carrots and sweet apples and a warm bed of straw
to sleep on.
Charlie was a stonemason and he built all the stone
outhouses and the stone walls on the farm. To this
day, his work still stands and my stables and dog
kennels and fuel storage sheds are all the original
stone buildings built by Charlie. The stables have
large flagstones on the floor and the smaller
outhouses have cobbled floors. What a skill he had.
What a craftsman he was.
Charlie died before Mary, and when she died over 30
years ago, my father desperately wanted to buy her
cottage but he could not afford to at the time as he
was tied to paying college fees for my brother and
I. I vowed if the cottage ever came up for sale in
my life time I would do all I could to buy it. It
took a miracle for this to happen.
I heard, only by chance, from Bridget Sweeney, that
the owner, Oliver Whitehead, was thinking of selling
the cottage. He lived in Canada and I immediately
phoned him. I told him of my family connections to
the cottage and how I had always wanted to live
there and he instantly understood my genuine love
for the cottage. We did a private sale. Had the
cottage gone on the open market I would not have
stood a chance as the price would have been out of
my reach. Thank you Bridget and Oliver for making my
dream come true.
My dad died 2 yeas ago and I firmly believe he
worked a miracle from the spirit world. My father
wanted his ashes spread in Donegal in 2 places, the
White Gate at Ards and “Auntie Mary’s cottage” at
Horn Head. So now my father’s ashes are on my land.
Thanks dad – you worked a miracle. You couldn’t live
here but you made it happen that I could.
So I moved up from Tipperary this May 2006. My
cousin, Patrick Hunter is a superb builder, a true
perfectionist, and he kindly took on the job of
renovating the cottage. He kept the old cottage
style and yet created a modern cosy interior full of
the old cottage character. The exterior was not
changed in any way so the cottage is now one of a
few remaining Traditional Irish Cottages in this
area and it is truly a rare gem.
The cottage came with a farm and ample grazing land
so I immediately set about finding two horses that
needed homes. I bought Jenny and Holly and though
there is a huge age difference between them, they
get on so well. Jenny is the boss but I make sure
Holly is not left out and she gets as many treats as
Jenny. I make sure to give Holly extra reassurance
to build up her confidence.
Horn Head Pet Sanctuary is a haven for my animals
and for me. My land is designated as a Special Area
of Conservation, so nature is protected here by law.
All the wildlife flora and fauna are protected here
and so to be living in this environment only
amplifies my joy as I know all animals and plants
are safe from the hands of any interfering humans.
I invite you to share my life here. Not everyone
gets the chance to live in such a beautiful place
and so I am posting my life on the internet so you
too can be a part of Horn Head Pet Sanctuary.
Some people do more than dream…I had dreams and
with a miracle they came true. Welcome to my dreams! you are home too!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
