The trail comes upon Fortlawn cottage after passing by Fortlawn Ringfort. There are two large pillars that signal the beginning of the driveway. These are known as “Pineapple Pillars.”
Believed to have been built around 1748, Fortlawn cottage is the oldest house still in residential use in Clogher. It was built as a thatch cottage. The original builders and residents are not known, however the earliest known residents of the house were the Mulrooneys. It is said that the large oak tree in front of the house was planted in honor of the Mulrooney’s only son. It is believed that Mrs. Mulrooney was an excellent herbalist, and she looked to Fortlawn wood to source many of her cures. Another thing that Mrs. Mulrooney was known for was allowing ‘sports days’ to be staged in the large field in front of Fortlawn cottage. One of the main features of these sports days was horse racing. In fact, horses are still a part of Fortlawn to this day.
The Mulrooneys also have their own local ghost story. Mr. Mulrooney once had a black spaniel dog that he was very fond of. One day, Mr. Mulrooney needed to travel by bicycle for business to Castlebar. When he returned from Castlebar around mid-day, the spaniel rushed towards him to meet him. Then the dog immediately darted over the fence and into the bushes. Mr. Mulrooney shouted for the dog, but he did not return. He thought the dog could have been after rabbits. After he went inside, he told his wife what had happened, and that he was going outside to see what had happened to the dog. Mrs. Mulrooney’s face turned white and she stopped dead in her tracks. She took her husband’s hand and led him into the stable. There he saw the dog lying dead. The dog had died after accidentally ingesting poison not long after Mr. Mulrooney left for town in the morning.
The Mulrooneys sold their house to Joe Blowick, who was Minister for Agriculture at the time, in 1945. The Blowicks stayed in Fortlawn cottage for 17 years before moving on.
In 1962, Bernie and Padraig McGreal moved into the cottage. The cottage has been renovated not that long ago, ensuring that it will be a landmark in Clogher for some time to come.
References:
- Michigan State University, Study Abroad Programme. (2009). Fortlawn Cottage. Internal Report: Folder 2, Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail—Clogher Environmental Group Ltd. Unpublished.