HISTORY OF THE COTTAGE

The cottage at the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre has been at the centre of life in Naul for the best part of a century.

 

The Cottage in which The Centre is located, was itself renowned in the past as a home for music and dancing.

 

The Naul Fife & Drum Band used the house as a band practice room in the early part of the 20th century. Some sheets of their hand-written music was discovered in the roof of the house during the course of renovation.

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Sinéad Flanagan, later to become the wife of the Irish republican leader and third President of Ireland, Éamon de Valera, was regularly seen dancing at parties in the house.

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Micheal Ó Maoláin, a Timire, or traveling Irish teacher, taught the Irish language here in the early years of the Gaelic League. Sean O'Casey used Ó Maoláin as the basis for the character of 'Maguire' in his 1923 play 'The Shadow Of A Gunman'.

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THE COTTAGE NOW

Today The Cottage is still full of live in the heart of the Naul community and now houses the wonderful Cottage Cafe.