Context
Curry’s Cottage is a Grade A listed thatched cottage set in farmland on the southern border of Co. Fermanagh. The cottage is thought to be over 300 years old. It was acquired by Hearth from its owner Seamus Curry in 1998. Mr Curry had been born in the cottage 70 years before although his family had lived there much longer. The cottage is one of very few cruck frame dwellings still existing in their original location in Northern Ireland.
Within the boundaries of the family farmstead Mr Curry could source all the building materials he needed to maintain the cottage. He grew rye in the surrounding fields and could gather mud from the stream which runs along the edge of the road.
Food and fuel could also be found locally. Mr Curry’ animals grazed in the surrounding fields, he grew vegetables in the garden and gathered turf from local peat bogs to use for heating and cooking.
Sustainability
Using local materials, as Mr Curry did, reduces carbon emissions by eliminating the need to transport materials long distances.
Growing your own vegetables and raising your own animals for food are also good ways to live more sustainably.
Using turf to heat an individual home, such as Curry’s Cottage, can be a sustainable alternative to oil and gas. However, large scale peat cutting to fuel whole communities is unsustainable as it destroys huge areas of unique habitats and the peat does not regenerate quickly enough to replace what would be lost