Works continue on Brian Friel cottage in Glenties

Work has been carried out on the Donegal cottage that was the setting for Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa which will ensure the house can no longer be damaged by the elements.
“We are still working on it. It has been very slow but we have made progress. We have now made the house completely sound and safe against the elements. It can’t be damaged any further. Now, we are planning to tackle the interior of the house,” Dr Joe Mulholland said.
There are other plans afoot which cannot be discussed at this present time.
The cottage was purchased a number of years ago and a committee established.
Funds to buy the property were provided by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
The cottage was the home of Brian Friel’s grandfather, Barney McLoone, and his wife Sarah. It was originally railway property and Barney worked at the nearby station in Glenties.
The couple had 10 children, of which were five girls, one of whom, Chris, married Paddy Friel. They were the playwright’s parents.
The five McLoone sisters were immortalised by Brian Friel in Dancing at Lughnasa as the Mundy sisters of fictional village, Ballybeg.