About the Holding
The Farm House has been in the Fanning family for ten generations. Originally it was 240 acres, but since has been divided between various families. The main activity on the farm is growing grass seasonally for hay. There is also a small forestry, that we hope to add to by planting Christmas trees.
As was the custom in the 1920s, an orchard was planted to supplement the farm’s income. This orchard is still in existence today, with some trees 100 years old and still producing fruit.
They also have the original 1950s cow barns, where milk was loaded for delivery to Carlow town via a pony and trap every morning. These are used for very different purposes today. In 2017 a small patch was fenced off as a vegetable garden – it has now become overgrown so now it is hoped to reinvent this area as a Hen Run and acquired some hens. There is a small pony here on the farm that was used when the children were small but now is retired and loves to be brushed and petted.
A Social Farming Day
- Picking apples and making cider.
- Foraging wild berries.
- Planting Christmas trees in the forestry.
- Gardening: planting and feeding bulbs and willow hedging.
- Brushing and feeding the pony.
- Baking bread.
- Clearing the raised beds.
- With very little livestock on the farm (apart from a small pony) it has mainly been used for tillage in recent times.
- Seasonally we grow grass for Hay – this is a lovely experience with the smell of freshly cut Hay reminiscence of older times when farmers turned the Hay by hand and bailing took all day.
- Autumn sees the apple crop in full swing. The apples are collected for distribution – perhaps some cider-making in the future. It is also a time for foraging wild berries etc.
- There is a small plantation of forestry. It is hoped to infill with a number of Christmas trees going forward.
- The garden could benefit from a facelift with some spring bulbs and willow hedging envisaged.
Local Interest
In an earlier generation hunting was a major interest of the family who lived here in Newtown Allen. The farm is visited every year by the local hunt which brings great excitement.