Croan Cottages News - September 2005
We've had a very busy Summer here at Croan during which we were delighted to welcome back some old friends and meet many new ones. Overall, we enjoyed three months of great weather with plenty of good sunshine and are now enjoying quite an Indian summer this September as the blackberries ripen and the leaves begin to change. In another month or so, Castle Morres woods will be ablaze with Autumn colour and certainly makes the transition to winter a little easier to bear! Our pigs always look forward to the inclusion of fresh acorns in their diet. The calm and clear Summer nights with their fantastic displays of stars are continuing as Orion begins to move into our view.
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This Summer has seen great progress on our building projects. Our new Boules court was the site of some fierce competition throughout the Summer. Our potting shed and barn are almost finished and we should be ready to glaze the greenhouse in the next couple of weeks. We've been surprised at the enormous wealth of garden heritage in the South East and have been visiting some extraordinary gardens to gain inspiration for our own walled garden. Our planting plans are a little behind schedule but we hope to be sowing in earnest this coming Spring and to be enjoying our first fruit and vegetable crops early next Summer. |
Our animal paddocks are now properly fenced and the hedgerows have been tackled back into shape. This work has provided enough wood for several Winters. All of the animals have moved to their new homes, with the exception of the ducks and newly hatched ducklings. Having dredged the pond, they are now living in temporary accommodation to protect them from foxes while we wait for the pond to refill.
| May's piglets, born in June, have grown to a healthy size and have become expert escapologists. They're old enough now to be weaned and to move on to new homes. May's regained her figure very quickly and seems to be looking forward to some peace and quiet. June has been remarkably patient with her new brothers and sister. Our two lambs, Dilly and Doris are big enough now to be considered proper sheep and are weaned from their daily bottle feeds. They're happily sharing a paddock with Daisy and Bill the goats and they're all getting along famously, though Daisy's very much the boss. |  |
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Now that our animal population has expanded, Winter-feed has become a priority. The continued good weather allowed us to let wild flowers grow and set seed in the meadows before cutting our hay, late, in August. Hay making is always such a pleasant job and it was very rewarding to see our bales stacked and waiting for storage. Before cutting the meadow, we found a nest of young leverets and managed to move them to safety before the mower did any damage. Their mother came when we weren't around and moved them on again to a more secret location but we are delighted that Hares, which are becoming more rare in Ireland, are breeding at Croan. |
We're delighted to announce the arrival of a new cow and her heifer calf to our smallholding. Both are Limousin crosses. In preparation for the arrival of our first large animals, we looked after our neighbour's mare, Delphi, for the summer. She's a beautiful chestnut with a flaxen mane and a very quiet mount. The Castle Morres woods are an ideal place for trekking with her and we hope to have her back again soon.
| Rusty the new rooster and our new chicks still like to tour the cottages in the morning waiting for treats |  |
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Pierre the peacock's attention has recently been grabbed by the addition of Penelope the peahen to the Croan fowl flock. Let's just say he has other things on his mind. |
| Poppy the puppy has now grown so much that it can sometimes be difficult to tell she and Bella apart. Alike as they are in looks, they couldn't be more different in personality. Poppy is so much cheekier than mannerly Bella and Bella has gradually been getting used to sharing us with her new playmate. |  |
The Summer has also been busy outside of Croan. The Tall Ships festival in Waterford in July was amazing and deservedly attracted huge numbers of visitors The quay on both sides of the river was full of the most romantic ships and to see them move out to sea under full sail past Hook Head was something special to behold. The Kilkenny Arts Festival in August, as always, was an extravaganza of theatre, visual arts, music and dance. The Inistioge Vintage Rally and Festival in late July continues to go from strength to strength and the Piltown Agricultural Show in September, the oldest in the country and attended by our Prime Minister among other dignitaries, provided valuable inspiration for our vegetable growing plans!
The local Aghaviller Historical Society has begun a research project on the history of Castle Morres and Croan, as a surviving House from the heyday of the estate, has formed an alternative focus for some research. We're learning lots about the history of our house and gardens and its relationship to 'the big house' at the end of the road. As more information is gathered we will add it to the Croan House section of the site.
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The new Croan Cottages Postcards. There's always a supply in all of the cottages for our guests to send to friends and family. |
As this Summer season ends, we're beginning to look forward to next year. We feel very privileged to have been invited to appear in the 'Country Living Guide to Rural Ireland' and due to the great success of Croan Cuisine meals we'll be expanding our range. Our friends at The Bridge Pottery are designing some new Croan Cottages gift items in addition to the pottery already available as souvenirs and together with our Croan Cottages T-shirts these will shortly be available to buy online. The T-shirts will feature the same image as that designed for our postcards by local artist, Cathy Dineen. Feel free to email us if you'd like some!
Niamh, Francis, Bella and Poppy.
Croan Cottages,
Dunamaggan,
Co. Kilkenny
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