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NEWS, EVENTS & COURSES ENNISCOE
HOUSE This year we completed the restoration of the front sitting room. The gold patterned wallpaper is still there, and so is the 19th century embossed paper on the ceiling. The ceiling paper nearly did not survive, it took a week of nerve wracking work to clean it and get the loose edges stuck back. Nat Clements, of Clements and Moore, came back to supervise the work, and then he and his team took over the cleaning, restoration and painting of the ornate cornices and overdoors. He also devised the colour scheme for the doors and woodwork, mixed the paints and finally completed the special paint finishes above the picture rail and below the dado rail. The result is wonderful, and it was entertaining to see which of our return visitors noticed the change. Some just said "its great to be back, and the place is looking wonderful", others saw it immediately, others again didn't notice or just thought our spring cleaning must have been particularly thorough. So, again, I think we have managed to do a good restoration without being too obvious about it, and without losing the atmosphere of the house. The next job, finished in October 2002, sadly you will never see (unless you have a special interest!) was the restoration of the inner roof, complete with lead flashing and a new drainage system off the roof. Very boring, but so necessary and so expensive, I record with gratitude that the Heritage Council and the Irish Georgian Society gave grants towards this work. Apart from all that, we did find time to look after our visitors. My son D.J. is here with me full time, which is great. He is working in Sligo for the winter months, but will be back here in April. ENNISCOE GARDENS This garden and the Pleasure Grounds, are under the care of head gardener Annette Maughan. While the borders and rockery are beginning to settle down and look more mature there is still too great an open area of lawn. We are planning to start a new programme of planting shrubs into the open area and to edge more of the central flower beds with box. Through the archway there are some changes in the organic vegetable garden as Michael Gara has left us. Three people who have been working in the gardens on and off over the last few years have now taken over and they are planning a big expansion in production. Catriona, Frank and Tommy look forward to showing you around and you will be able to taste their vegetables and soft fruits at dinner. We were not able to put on the garden theatre programme in September as we had planned. There was no funding available and we could not be sure that we would have enough visitors. Visitor numbers were down in the gardens and museum (but not in the house). Perhaps we will try again later on. RESIDENTIAL COURSES AT
ENNISCOE Cookery: Clair O'Conor of Clair's Creative Catering has her kitchen in the courtyard building. She does outside catering as well, selling to retail outlets (humus, pate and breads) and cooks several evenings a week in the house. She started running cookery courses in the Enniscoe House kitchen after we had closed in October which went very well, and she plans to do some residential weekends this spring. Gardening: Annette Maughan ran two courses last year, and her first course this year will be over the weekend of 7th March. Topics covered include lawn care, propagating, pruning, composting, planting and transplanting, seed sowing and growing on of summer bedding. Practical work as well as theory is included! If you would like further information on any of the courses contact Monica Powell, The Mayo North Heritage Centre, Enniscoe, Castlehill, Ballina, Co Mayo. Telephone: 00353 96 31809 Email normayo@iol.ie We hope to see you at Enniscoe in 2003, for a relaxing holiday or for an active time learning a new skill. |
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