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Fairymount Farm is
a family run farm and has been in the family for many generations.
Traditionally the main type of farming has been horse breeding, sheep
farming and tillage. Though, with agricultural reforms, we have
diversified into tourism, organic farming, forestry development and
expansion of horse breeding. We are privileged to own an exceptionally
beautiful farm with magnificent panoramic views on our 700ft hill known
to all as Knochshegowna hill nestled in the unspoilt countryside of
Tipperary in the middle of rural Ireland…a landscape that has been
virtually untouched for perhaps hundreds of years.
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Fairymount Farm Provincial Winner -
Munster
covering the south-west, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick and Clare
areas,
was presented with their award by
The Minister for Communications and Rural Affairs
Mr Eamon O' Cuiv TD
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4
Star Self-Catering
Cottages:
On
Fairymount Farm
we have three beautiful 4* Self-Catering Cottages for you to choose
from, as seen on Ireland’s broadcasting programme, “Nationwide”.
In 2004, we won the
Munster Self-Catering Award in Ireland,
presented by the Minister for
Communications & Rural Affairs.
These cottages are all set on our 450 acre farm with horses, sheep,
walks & trails, new forestry, private lake, fishing, sheep dogs,
Crannog, Fulachta Fiadh, Ringfort and much more! Both Fairymount &
Oakwood are accessible for wheelchair use. Dogs are most welcome in
all properties! We started our tourism in 1989 and it was one of our
best ideas! We thoroughly enjoy meeting our visitors and have made
many good friends from all over the world. We are here to welcome
them on arrival and are here on hand should they need anything
during their stay. At the same time we understand that everyone
likes their own space and privacy. Fairymount Farm has its own
natural spring which provides all our properties with probably the
freshest water in Ireland, something we take for granted these days!
…
Read more in our Accommodation and Virtual Tours pages>>>> |
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Our Walks and Trails:
We have superb walking
trails through our 450 acre farmland. Our official opening was in 2004 and
it has been blossoming every year with more walkers, walking groups,
tourists, families and tours heading off on our beautiful walks and
becoming annual members.
There are 3 walks to choose from which cater for
everyone from the elite to the casual walkers. The Heritage Walk (9km,
5.5miles), The Lake Walk (Lough Nahinch…The Lake of the Island 3.2km,
2miles), The Hill Walk (700ft hill with panoramic views of 7 counties in
Ireland…1.6km, 1mile)...
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Forestry:
In 2001,
Fairymount Farm
won the prestigious All Ireland National Forestry and Wood Award.
This award has been long established to promote better forestry on
farms and particular recognition is given where the environment
has been improved, landscape enhanced, wild life preserved and the
integration of additional enterprises such as the farm walks &
trails.
We
are privileged to own one of the few remaining native oak woods in
the country and in conjunction with this we have also planted 110
acres with just over 100,000 of new forestry
since 1994. This new
forestry consists of mostly hardwoods, i.e. oak, beech, ash,
sycamore, birch, mountain ash and maple and softwood species of
Scots pine, Norway spruce, Sitka spruce, Douglas fir and larch. As
you walk around the farm, you will get the opportunity to see the
different species at first hand. Through our old oak wood, the
woodland ecosystem is particularly inspiring.
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Our
Horse Enterprise
consists of 14 brood mares and averaging 60 horses per annum on
the farm at one time. We breed mostly Thoroughbred National Hunt
horses which we sell as three and four year olds to go racing in
Ireland and England. We keep some of our horses to break, train
and race ourselves. Our horse walker is invaluable to us and is in
constant use whether to just exercise young horses before and
during breaking, or for the preparation of horses for the sales,
or for warming up horses before they are ridden on the track or
around the farm. We have just placed a training track for these
horses on part of our land to enhance their training. The
remaining mares are half-bred mares and we keep their off-spring
to break as three year olds, school them (jump them across our
cross country course, hunt and show jump) and then sell them as
top class hunters/show horses/event horses to the Irish, U.K. and
American markets. We also keep Irish Draught brood mares (one of
the oldest breeds in Ireland) which are much sought after
worldwide as
all-round utility/show
jumping horses.
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Organic Farming:
Fairymount Farm
has been organic since
1995. Organic farming means fewer animals per acre, better animal
management, no chemical fertilisers or doses and the severely
restricted use of anti-biotics. Our sheep flock consists of 450
Suffolk/Texal breeding ewes and an average of 16 rams that enjoy
chemical free pastures on our hillside of Knockshegowna and down
to our lakeshore of Ballinahinch. We are delighted with this
transformation as we find that all the animals are much healthier
and content. Organic farming is also about looking after the
environment and bringing back the old natural methods of living
and protecting the land. |
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The Lake
(Lough Nahinch) and Fishing;
Stop
‘6’ on our walks and trails brings you to
Fairymount Farm’s
special
lake ‘Lough Nahinch’ where our guests and visitors can go
fishing for pike, perch
and rudd
...Relax
and enjoy in complete tranquility while also observing the
wonderful wildlife and bird species. The lake, consisting of
approximately 25 acres, lies on the border of County Tipperary and
County Offaly in a peaty basin of cutaway bog. The lake is
surrounded by a swamp and wet areas of peat, supporting many
important plant communities like bulrush, round-leaved sundew, bog
asphodel, gorse, mint, scabious, birch, bog-cotton and buckthorn.
It is an important breeding site for otter, redshank, snipe and
water rail and in
Winter is home to many migratory species of wild
fowl. Dragonflies and butterflies of all colours, shapes and sizes
like to live here too! Before 1810, when Lough Nahinch was
drained, the lakeshore would have been at this point. This is in a
special area of conservation designated by the European Union...
See Virtual Tour of Lake in our
Walks & Trails page>>>>
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The Crannog:
At stop ‘7’ of our walks and trails you will be standing on
the crannog! It is a protected site and, as such, has been
left in its natural state. Crannogs are small, circular,
manmade islands in lakes or marshlands. They are made up of
layers of material such as lake-mud, brushwood and stones and
on this the inhabitants built their thatched houses of wattles
and mud. A palisade of closely set wooden stakes around the
perimeter consolidated the structure and acted as a defense.
Stumps of these stakes are still visible, protruding slightly
from the water down at ‘Lough Nahinch’. The oak beams and the
cross beams have been preserved by the water-logged
conditions. |
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This
particular Crannog dates back to around the year 400 A.D. – it
was first discovered after the lake was partially drained in
1810 and it was excavated in 1864. Basket flooring and animal
bones were found suggesting that it was a farm dwelling. Access
to the Crannog was probably by dug-out canoes or a secret
underwater stepping-stone system. This lake is a perfect haven
and breeding ground for wild duck and swans and sometimes for
wild geese. Local folklore has it that the lake is bottomless
and there are great tales of pike, the size of men, having been
extracted from its depths!
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The Fulachta Fiadh:
At stop ‘8’ on our walks and trails you will come across one
of Ireland’s ancient Fulachta Fiadhs (cooking place of the
deer). This is an ancient cooking place that survives as small
mounds of burnt and shattered stone and charcoal. The cooking
took place in a pit or trough dug into the ground and lined
with stone, wood or clay. Water boiled in the trough by adding
stones heated in the nearby fire and rolled in the water. The
burnt and broken stones were then discarded around the trough,
forming the horseshoe mound you can see today. Fulachta Fiadhs
date back to the Bronze Age (2000-900 B.C.) and are always
located near water (hence it is right beside our lake!). They
were mainly used by hunting parties that travelled throughout
the country at this time. This particular Fulachta Fiadh was
discovered only in 1990 and has completely been left
untouched.
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The
Ringfort:
At stop ‘9’ on our walks and trails you will come across another
Irish archaeological landmark, the ‘Ringfort’. Ringforts are the
most widespread field monuments in Ireland and they date back to
early Christian times (c.500 – 1100 A.D.). They were the normal
type of farmsteads and acted as a defense against wild animals or
foes. Within the circular earthen banks or stone walls, the
inhabitants carried on their everyday farmyard activities. They
cooked on open fires or in pits, corn was ground for making bread
or porridge, pottery was made and bowls were turned on lathes. The
dwelling houses and other buildings were generally dry-stone or
timber built. Like most ringforts in the country, the circular
bank is all that remains here now on
Fairymount Farm.
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Knockshegowna Hilltop;
The highest point of Fairymount Farm is our 700ft above
sea level hill ‘Knockshegowna’ (Cnoc Sidhe Gamhna – the
hill of the fairy calf) with magnificent views of the
surrounding countryside. Since earliest times high places
have served as the altars of the Gods, and Celtic
traditions claim that certain hills are fairy strongholds.
Knockshegowna is one of these hills! Also known as the
hill of the fairies. From the top you can see seven
counties; you stand in Co. Tipperary, to the north... the
flat plains of Co. Offaly and the southern tip of Co.
Roscommon. To the
east... Co. Laois and on the horizon the
Slieve Bloom Mountains. To the south... Co. Limerick and
in the distance the Silvermine mountain range, including
Keeper Hill and the Devil’s Bit. On a very clear day, in
between these two mountains you can see the peaks of the
Galtee Mountains, which are 97km away! To the west, Co.
Clare and Co. Galway with the Slieve Aughty and the Arra
Mountains in the distance. Glimpses of Lough Derg can be
seen at various points. On Knockshegowna hill an
illuminated cross has lit up the countryside and can be
seen from many areas during winter nights. This cross was
erected in 1949 to celebrate the arrival of electricity in
this part of Ireland...
See Virtual Tour of Hill on
homepage>>>>
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