For American family
“It would require a language beyond my mind to express the gratitude and love that I feel toward all of you for the collective time, talent and treasure that was steadfastly given to rebuild the Hogan house,” sentiments shared by Kathleen Gill upon visiting the home of her late relative Nora Hogan recently.
Nora Hogan’s house, probably the best-known house in Coolboy, is neatly set into the south slopes of the Galtee Mountains overlooking Kilbehenny village on the Cork-Limerick border.
It wasn’t the first time that Kathleen had visited the former home of Nora Hogan but the condition of the premises today is a vast improvement compared to her first visit almost five years ago.
Back then, Kathleen had to fight her way through briars and brambles to get close to the dilapidated premises but thanks to the dedicated work of Joe Prendergast and friends, she returned on this occasion to a beautifully restored home, a surprise that simply took Kathleen’s breath away.
“It was all so surprising and enchanting,” said Kathleen in appreciation of the efforts made by Joe. “I never dreamed that you had laboured so much to return this home to its original purpose. I noted every detail from the smoke first seen piping out of the chimney from the road below to the thatched roof and rebuilt front wall, the ceiling beams and white washed painted walls in and out - glass in the windows that were illuminated with softly glowing candles - the saddle outside and all of the outdoor accents. You cleared out the front and side yard and then inside, the bed and furniture, a home made bench by a local carpenter, the warm blazing fire with mantel adorned with framed pictures of family gone by and family still present.”
The rebuild has been a real labour of love undertaken by Joe Prendergast over a five-year period. In that time he completely built the front wall of the house, replaced the old tired roof, fitted new windows and doors, installed a new fireplace and chimney and renovated the entire property. He also excavated the land and re-created a pathway which leads to a water-well a few hundred metres from the home. The love and dedication to the project was overwhelming for Kathleen, especially as she wasn’t aware of it.
“Thanks to your family it is now not only a fine representation of a pre famine home but also a warm and inviting honouring to the Hogans that once lived there,” Kathleen told Joe. How happy they all must be to know that their cottage has been loved and restored and available again for all who walk up the hill to view its rugged beauty and sturdy practicality.
“You have made that day on the mountain the singular most magical and uniquely life changing day of my life journey. Nothing can compare to how special I was treated by the many people there who came up to watch the day’s events unfold.”
And the surprise for Kathleen and her family didn’t end there. Inside the home Joe had sourced a picture of Kathleen’s father and aunt which was placed on a wall shelf accompanied by a photograph of Kathleen with Ned O’Brien. For Kathleen, it was as if time had stood still during that moment.
"When I saw the picture of my da and his sister on the wall shelf and then the pic of Ned and me on the fireplace mantel I burst into uncontrollable tears of joy and confusion, so many questions of how and who and in that moment I felt one with the mountain and the home and all of the people that worked so hard on this historical venue. Time stood still for me and I felt time travelled me backwards. I felt completely at home inside the walls lit by fireplace embers and candles. It took many minutes for me to calm and start to process. Oh how I wished that the Hogan grandchildren all could have seen and felt what I did in that minute and through the day. I will sit down with each remaining grandchild - Tommy Tallent (Mame Hogan’s son) and Gloria Reed (Nell Hogan’s daughter) and da - John Gill (Anna Hogan’s son) 90, 90 and 93 years old they are now. My head is filled with their stories of grandpa Hogan. In his old age he lived with most of his daughters and the grandkids so they all had great times with him as children.”
WALK TO THE WELL
Another surprise for Kathleen was a re-enactment of times gone by when the Hogan family would walk to the well for water. A shawl similar to the one worn by Nora Hogan all those years ago was placed around Kathleen for the journey, a walk she described as a ‘sacred procession’ for her.
“I fought back more emotion as I imagined the many Hogan relatives that climbed to the well and walked in to the water sanctuary that surrounds the pristine well. There are no words to fully express how special the well walk was.
Afterwards it was back to the Hogan home where Kathleen and her family were treated to music, soup, sandwiches and her first taste of poitín. Later in the evening they were guests of the Prendergast family for dinner.
“It was hard to leave the house,” said Kathleen, “part of me remains there still and always will. Part of the house (and all of you good people) is carried inside me for always.”
Joe would like to thank the following: his family: Hannah, Clíona and Jack, sister-in-law Geraldine, Pa Slattery, Rodger O’Brien, John and Kathleen O’Halloran, John Kearney, John McMahon, John Maloney, Denis Fitzgerald, George Fenton and Alice Landers. Historians on the day were Conor O’Brien and John Sherlock and musicians Mick Dunlea and John Walsh.