European Heritage Open Days - Dan Winter's Cottage, Loughgall
Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September
Event: European Heritage Open Days - Dan Winter's Cottage, Loughgall
Date: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September 2024
Time: See Below
Location: 1 Derryloughan Road, Loughgall, County Armagh, BT61 8PH
Price: FREE
European Heritage Open Days - Dan Winter's Cottage, Loughgall
Dan Winter's Cottage will be open:
Saturday 14 September 2024, 11.00am - 5.30pm
Sunday 15th September 2024, 12.00pm - 5.30pm
Dan Winter’s Cottage, built in 1623 was lived in by Dan Winter and his family at the time of the Battle of the Diamond where he carried out his business of a publican and a grocer. During the battle Dan Winter’s home and business was attacked. The Spirit Grocers was ransacked and the whiskey and beer were run off. The barrels that held them were destroyed and the bags of meal and flour and supplies of tea and sugar were scattered on the street. The webs of linen and piles of yarn were thrown everywhere and the furniture was smashed. The thatched roof on the cottage caught fire and the beams on the ceilings became scorched from the heat of the blaze and are still visible to the present day. Dan and his family fought off their attackers and stood to protect their hearth and home.
After the battle, Dan Winter, together with the victors of the battle, gathered around a spring well in a field opposite the cottage and vowed to form a society for their mutual protection. This was an informal decision but whilst victors of the battle stayed in the area to protect the cottage, some representatives later met in Sloan’s inn, Loughgall where the society was officially formed and is now known as the Orange Order. Each county was issued warrants and Orange Lodges were set up all around Northern Ireland.
In 1995 we had a special 200th anniversary of the battle of the Diamond when Orange lodges from all over Ireland and afar came to the Diamond to celebrate the bicentenary. In 2000 the grand master of the Orange order, Robert Saulters, along with Rev Ian Paisley were guests at the official opening of the cottage. The building is listed as “Dan Winter’s cottage, focal point of the Battle of the Diamond and which was attacked during the battle in 1795.” This listing is due to the historical significance of the scorched beams from the thatch which was set alight during the battle. The scorched beams can still be seen today in the living quarters of the cottage along with the spirit grocers and weaving shop which still contains the original loom.
In the 1700’s many cottages in Ulster contained a weaver’s shop and here linen was woven on looms and sold locally to agents, taken to the linen hall in Lisburn and sold to countries around the world. The Industrial Revolution sped things up greatly and by the late 18th Century Belfast and surrounding areas had become the biggest producer of linen in the world. The linen centre in Lisburn was the hub of the industry and Armagh was right in the thick of the Ulster triangle, which was counties Antrim, Down and Armagh. Linens woven in Ireland are still very highly regarded and are mainly used in niche luxury items and flax is still the National flower of Northern Ireland. The Loom in the cottage was restored in 2000 and is one of a small number of looms in Ireland still contained in its original site and its original working order. As well as the Loom All the old traditional relics are still maintained within the cottage.
During the battle, guns fired from the hills at the back of the cottage and lead balls are still embedded within its very structure and have never been removed due to the delicate nature of the mud walls. This attracts a lot of interest as We have metal detectors on site which can be used to detect them.
The cottage survived the attack during the battle and in 2023 we celebrated another special anniversary as the cottage was 400 years old. The cottage has been lived in for generations by the Winter families and Robert and Greta Winter lived in the cottage from 1957 until Robert passed in 1985. They had a family of 10 children, 4 boys and 6 girls. After Robert passed in 1985 Greta continued to live in the cottage until 1988 when she moved to Loughgall village. Greta had since moved to Richhill village and lived here until her passing on 2nd January 2023. Greta was a keen artist and her painting of the cottage is on sale to mark its 400th anniversary, 1623-2023. These prints are limited edition as only 400 have been printed and will be on sale at the cottage and directly from Colin Winter, son of Robert and Greta and present day owner of the Cottage. Contact: cwinter1795@gmail.com Mob: 07714849729 Landline: 02838852171. Prints will be individually numbered and are signed by Greta Winter and by Colin. They are priced at £75+p&p and all proceeds will go towards the repair and upkeep of the Cottage.
Colin is a direct descendant of Dan Winter who has worked tirelessly and without monetary help or assistance from any source and has maintained the Cottage and its contents in its original state. At 98 feet this cottage is the longest thatched cottage in Ireland. It is well worth a visit and everyone is more than welcome to come & embrace an amazing historical experience.
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