Mucklin (Wet Land of the Pigs) is a townland of 487 acres, which in 1841 had a population of 170 people. By 1911, around the time that my Mother's family left for New Zealand, the population was down to 47 people, and today nobody lives here. So we have gone from the hustle and bustle of Bristol to the absolute silence of Mucklin....quite a contrast. My cousin, Brendan Gleeson, still farms the land here, that his family has farmed since the late 1700s, where he rears organic sheep and cattle, but he lives down in the valley.
Our accommodation is a 4-star vacation home, Silver Spruce Lodge, built by my 2nd cousins in 2014, and is absolutely beautiful. The house has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a huge kitchen and comfy lounge, with central heating and 2 wood-burning stoves. We have TV, internet, dishwasher, washer & dryer - everything but people.
Our travel from Bristol to Cork was uneventful and on time, and our rental car was waiting for us at Cork airport, for our 2 hour drive to Mucklin. I had brought along my GPS, which was a huge help in finding our way.
My cousin Nora met us in Dolla and guided us to Mucklin, where Brendan was also waiting to greet us, with the wood-stove burning. We discussed what we want to do during our week here, and then Nora and Brendan left us to our own devices.
After a light dinner, we turned in early, as I am trying to shake a cold that I picked up a few days ago, as I don't want to be sick for our stay here.
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