Steeped in history this feature property has had many lives in it long history which dates back to the mid 1850’ sand possibly earlier. Located in the Maum Valley and Joyce Country the property has all the features of great wealth and power of yesteryear. By todays standards it is a modest house but in times past it would have been regarded as a substantial house as the majority of the ordinary folk lived in little cottages along the hillside. The house resembles a herd keepers / game keepers lodge of the 1800s and was used as such into the early 1900’s where the landlords’ herds people would gather the cattle and sheep in the summer months and in the autumn and winter the gentry would hunt from the property on the great hills that surround it.
The complex itself today comprises a single storey dwelling over a basement with a small enclosed yard with a larger enclosed yard and a coach house and servants quarters and stables to the rear. The property in need of total renovation has its original cut stone steps that lead into the house which is divided into five rooms. The roof of oak beams and quarry slates is still in tact. The large basement / garden level area would probably have been used for storage and possibly as a sleeping area for the drovers whom up to the 1970s prior to the livestock markets opening would have walked cattle and sheep to the local fairs of Oughterard, Clonbur, Leenane, Maam Cross and possibly further. On these long walks the drovers would break their journey and over night themselves and their stock for a fee in the knowledge of been secure and rested for their next days walk to which ever fair they planned to attend. The Maum Fair Green was located next door.
With this property there are 25.7 acres of land which enjoys frontage onto the Cornamona Road and excellent frontage on to the Bealandabrack River that runs into Lough Corrib. The property would also have been home to the local post office for many years and during the conflict of the 1920 would have been used a police / army barracks. Access to the area in older times oddly enough would have been by train which stopped at Maam Cross. This station also provided an easy transport route for all local produce such as sheep, cattle wool, turf etc to the larger markets of Galway City and beyond. Today the village of Maum is served with a public bar, shop and hardware store known as Keanes which is only a stroll from the property.
The property has excellent potential to be transformed back into a fine home or possible with the benefit of the land and the direct Lough Corrib access a small tourist enterprise could easily be established. The coach house and building it occupies too has potential (SPP) to be transformed back into living accommodation. The walled gardens which greatly enhance the character of the property could easily be brought back to their former blossoming glory. Today a different type of walker travels these road and these are the recreational and hillside walkers that come from all over the country and across the globe to take advantage of the wonderful scenery this unique area of Connemara has to offer.
Pretty Rural Cottage with Historic barn set in an idyllic location just a walk from the village of Maam with fine views out over the surrounding countryside, located on about ten minutes from the village of Maam. This property would make an absolute ideal holiday home.
