Spring is in the air at Mahon Farmhouse this week with the birth of twin calves. These calves and cow make up what is our suckler herd. This means that the calves will remain with their mother until the Autumn time when they will be weaned. One calf is a heifer and the other a bull. The mother has taken well to both calves and all are doing well.
Also last week’ end we had the members of McCabe family from Lincolnshire, England staying with us. It was their father John McCabe who originally came from the Latton area. John McCabe was one of a family of 10 who grew up in a house very close to where Pond View Cottage now stands. It was 50yrs since any of Johns children had been back to the Latton area. So needless to say they had a lot of catching up to do. My father, Patrick Gibson, was able introduce to them to many of their relations and cousins who are still living in the locality.
On their last night with us we had a little get-together and sing song in Pond View Cottage. Some neighbours who remembered John McCabe and his family were also present and many stories of that time were told. Altogether it was a great evenings craic.
This week’ end the 2010 World Powerlifting Championships were held in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan. The Championships attracted competitors from all over the world. At Mahon Farmhouse we had guests from England, Switzerland & Malta. All participants below won medals in their individual categories.
Above is Nicolas Hancock from England pictured with Patrick Gibson(Mahon Farmhouse). Also Claudia Gerhards & Ramon Gysin from Basel, Switzerland
Participants from Malta
Please excuse as us as its been a while since we’ve posted here. Actually we’ve been busy working on our new website that we just launched recently.
www.mahonfarmhouse.com.
Among the improvements made are to the self catering accommodation section. Now there is a tabbed overview of the self catering cottages, making it much easier to switch between them and help you choose which cottage may be suitable for your needs. We have also made changes to the Activities page and have grouped the Activities into categories. Well hope you like our look and feel website.
Sorted through some photos today and uploaded them to our Facebook page. In total uploaded 30 photos.
Created 3 new albums: Guests, Fishing and Scenery & Landscape. Checkout our Facebook page for more. . .
Some excellent pike fishing recently in the Cootehill (Co. Cavan) / Ballybay (Co. Monaghan) areas on the Dromore River system. The Dromore River system, which sretches from Ballybay to Cootehill is well known with anglers throughout Europe and offers some of the best fishing in Ireland
Our regular visitors, Valerie & Francis from France had some excellent catches during their 2 wk stay with us. On average each day they were catching 15-20 pike. Largest Pike caught was 92cm.
For info on fishing in the area visit Mahon Farmhouse Accommodation
Mahon Farmhouse has been on the social networking site face book for many months now. We find it’s a great way to stay in contact with the many guests that we have had stay with us that are now our friends also.
Been located on a working farm, when Mahon Farmhouse got wind of the game Farmville that can be played on Facebook, we just had to get involved!
In Farmville you can plow, plant and harvest crops to earn money to further expand and improve your farmstead. You can also harvest trees and collect from animals. All together, its great craic!
If you are on Facebook why not add us as your friend and join in on the fun on Farmville. Also you can keep up to date with all the goings on at Mahon Farmhouse through the many photos that we frequently post there.
www.facebook.com/mahonfarmhouse
There was more fun on the farm this week when some guests from the UK got to experience both milking the cows and feeding the baby calves. Both of these activities are always big attractions with our guests. It’s not on every holiday that you will also get to see a working farm.
In June we had a post about Feeding the calves. Back then the baby calves were inside in pens as they were only a few months old. Now that they are much older they are outside grazing grass and gradually being weaned off milk. In a few more months they will be back inside feeding on silage as there will be no more grass on the land.
The same is true for the cows. As the winter approaches they are producing less and less milk and soon we will be drying them off completely. They too will be spending the winter in the cattle shed feeding on silage as more baby calves grow inside them. Then in the spring the baby calves are born and the cycle begins again!
On Tue 25th last I made a visit to Dernakesh pet farm. The pet farm is set on a four acre site, just a couple of miles from Cootehill, in the parish of Maudabawn, Co. Cavan. The farm is an especially unique experience for every visitor, young or old. Here you can meet and interact with a growing and diverse range of animals, up close and personal with indoor and outdoor viewing facilities.
The complex, one of the largest indoor animal viewing facilities in Ireland, has been transformed into a wildlife haven.
They have a varied and exotic mix of animals to meet on the farm including: Raccoons, Parrots, Sheep, Llamas, Pigs, Camel, Rabbits, Snakes, Ponies, Horses, Cows, Swans, Ducks, Donkeys, Deer, Wallabys and lots more!
Dernakesh Pet Farm which is located only 15mins from Mahon Farmhouse Accommodation is among one on the many things to do in the Cavan/Monaghan area. For a full list of activities and attractions in our area please visit our website, Mahon Famhouse.
County Monaghan (Irish: Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in the province of Ulster in the Republic of Ireland. The name originates from the Irish language, derived from Muine Cheain meaning the Land of the little hills.
The county adjoins County Tyrone (Northern Ireland) to the north, County Armagh (NI) to the east, County Louth (Republic of Ireland) to the southeast, County Meath (ROI) to the south, County Cavan (ROI) to the southwest and County Fermanagh (NI) to the west.
Monaghan is the main town in the county. Other major towns are Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, and Clones.
Monaghan is the birthplace of the poet and writer Patrick Kavanagh, who based much of his work in the county. Kavanagh is one of the most significant figures in mid 20th century Irish Poetry. The poems Stony Grey Soil and Shancoduff refer to the county.
Geography
There are several mountains in the county: Mullyash Mountain, Slieve Beagh (on the border with Tyrone and Fermanagh) and Coolberrin Hill (214 m).
There are also many lakes, including Lough Egish, Lough Fea, Muckno Lough, Lough Avaghon, Inner Lough (in Dartrey Forest), Drumlona Lough, White Lough and Emy Lough.
Rivers in the county include the river Fane (in the southeast of the county and along the border with Louth), river Glyde (along the Louth and Meath borders), the river Blackwater (along the border with Tyrone, Northern Ireland) and Dromore river (along the border of Cavan, linking Cootehill to Ballybay).
Monaghan also has a number of forests, including Rossmore Forest, Dartrey Forest and Dún na Rí Forest Park. Managed by Coillte since 1988, the majority of trees are conifers. Due to a long history of intensive farming practices and recent intensive forestry practices only small pockets of native woodland remain.
Towns and villages
Ballinode, Ballybay
Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clones
Emyvale
Inniskeen
Glaslough
Killanny, Knockatallon
Magheracloone, Monaghan
Newbliss
Rockcorry
Scotshouse, Scotstown, Smithborough (or Smithboro)
Tydavnet, Tyholland
Doohamlet
