BILLY BRENNAN’S BARN GENERATES INTEREST FROM HOME AND ABROAD

By Veronica Corr

A potential bidding war could be on the cards in relation to the Billy Brennan’s Barn, Drumnanaliv, Inniskeen. This iconic building was immortalised in Patrick Kavanagh’s poem Inniskeen Road: July Evening.

The estate agent handling the sale, Daragh O’Rourke of Gartlan O’Rourke Property Advisors, Carrickmacross told The Northern Standard:

“We’ve had interest from home and abroad, but most of the general interest has come from the locality. We’d like to agree a deal before Christmas.”

Mr. O’Rourke also confirmed that there is currently a bid of €45,000 on the property which consists of a former residence in need of complete renovation, out offices and Billy Brennan’s Barn on 2.13 acres. However, the estate agent said that the site was more like three acres when the lane is taken into account.

This week The Northern Standard received an email from a group of Irish ex-pats in Canada, who revealed that they are planning on transporting this piece of Ireland’s poetic heritage across the Atlantic Ocean.

The group, a corporation, based in Winnipeg, central Canada, is looking to purchase the barn and relocate it in Winnipeg for use as an Irish-themed bar and restaurant.

Their proposal centres on a clochan-like cluster of cottage-like structures with the barn as the centrepiece.

“It will be a multi-million dollar investment on a site close to the city’s convention centre, and will become a tourist attraction, as well as catering to the locals,” according to a spokesperson for the investors, who further stated: “We’re hopeful of acquiring the barn for its heritage value, and unique marketing angle.”

The Canadian bidders even went as far as to say in a written statement: “Unlike the United Kingdom, it is believed that Ireland’s weak heritage laws will not prevent the export of the …