Attractions

Yola Farmstead boasts some of the most beautiful and  rare sights to be seen in the County of Wexford.  From the Blacksmith's "Olde Forge" to "St. Helens" four seater church, you can't help but be amazed.  The wonderful "Herbal Walk" is another attraction that must be seen when you come to visit.

Why not view the working Windmill, which is a beautiful copy of another windmill to be found in Le Harve, France. Or find out how milk, cheese, and butter used to be made in "The Dairy"?  Below is some additional information on a selection of attractions which can be found at Yola Farmstead.

The Forge

This building is a typical example of a traditional Irish blacksmiths forge, with a slated roof.  In bygone days not only did the blacksmith spend his days making horse shoes, but also occupied himself with other wrought iron work such as manufacturing farm implements and tools - examples of which can be seen both inside and outside the building.  

On your visit, particular note should be taken of the wooden floor at the entrance. These were installed to prevent horses slipping when being shod.

The Forge is currently housing a small exhibition centred around the world famous Wexford based "Pierces Foundry" - sadly no longer in existence. "The Blacksmiths Forge" is a must-see when you come to visit!

The Kilmore House

A Typical example of a one-bedroom, straw-thatched, vernacular labourers cottage of the Kilmore district.

Worthy of noting is that large families lived in houses of this size where the loft was used as an extra bedroom.  Mud floors and mud walls were a common sight in houses like this, as people were unable to afford a slab of wood.

A typical feature of these small dwellings of this kind was the half door, which provided a source of light and ventilation and was said to "keep the babies in and the hens out".

More often than not, families of this stature had only one set of clothes, and if they were lucky, maybe an extra shirt for church on Sunday.

The Windmill

The windmill here is the same design as a windmill in Le Harve.  The sails are 20ft long and the main shaft is made of steel, in the original windmill the shaft was made of solid oak.

There was a certain lore attached to the windmills, whereby it was said that the sails were once used to warn smugglers that it was unsafe to come ashore when they were turned to the shape of an x and safe when they were turned to the shape of a cross.

A windmill uses the energy of the wind to produce power.  Wind turns the propeller wheel and a small gear on the shaft turns the larger ones, increasing the turning force. Connecting rods from large gears move the pump rod up and down as the wind wheel revolves.

The Dairy

The mud-floored whitewashed dairy is where milk was churned to make butter. The remaining buttermilk was used in the making of bread and was also a popular thirst quencher. Butter "patties" were used to shape the fresh butter into portions, usually pounds. It was usual for the farmer's wife to have a distinctive stamp to mark any of the butter that was going on sale at the market.

The Herbal Walk

The herbal walk is one of the most unusual and best features of Yola. Catmint, Sorrel and the Eau-de-Cologne are only some of the herbs you can expect to see when you visit. There are 60+ herbs on view and these should satisfy any visitor's "herbal hunger"!

Commodore Barry Cottage

This cottage was used in the RTÉ mini series "Thou Shalt not Kill" and surely is one of the most beautiful cottages you will ever see. Outside, is a pretty little garden which contains many beautiful flowers and plants. At the back of the house is a small, and very well kept, vegetable plot.

Inside the house, is a typical 18th Century kitchen, bedroom and living room. See how people lived back in those times, and be amazed at how a mother and father brought up seven children in such a confined dwelling place.

Yola also includes a large number of beautiful and rare animals and fowl. For a small sample of what we have to offer, please click here