Meath Woman's Diary:The intriguing life of Ms. Sally from Beauparc

While I was out on a walk last week I found myself stopping at the gates of ‘The big house,’ a Georgian estate in Beauparc a few kilometers from my home place just outside Slane village.

The charming ivy clad “Cullen House” was a place of intrigue when I was growing up.

The house and adjacent farm on 60 acres on land that dates back to the 1790s was not visible to passersby but the white picket fence and tree lined avenue gave some fuel to the imagination as to what lay behind the lush foliage that guarded the old worldly residence.

I always loved walks here on days like this when the crisp cold air leaves you with rosy red cheeks, the frost still hanging on the branches of trees and the sun forcing its way through the misty fog with everywhere you throw your eye looking like the front of a Christmas card.

I suppose as a youngster I envisioned a majestic Downtown Abbey type scene with downstairs staff, servants and ladies in elaborate gowns gathering in the drawing room for afternoon tea while the men congregated in the brandy room. It’s fair to say by this stage I was probably reading too many far fetched Enid Blyton novels.

I only learned in recent months learned that my name was inspired by the lady of the house ‘Ms. Sally’ to which she was known.

Having a life long fascination with period homes, aristocracy and antiques I began to wonder if I her namesake had been subconsciously influenced by Sally, the woman of the manor!!

Sally Watson Thom who hailed from the Bolton – Thoms a local Church of Ireland family was the only child of Alexander Thom and his wife Daisy.

She was brought up in Cullen House and later married DR H.J.R Henderson, a radiologist and Belfast man who worked in hospitals in Dublin. They both lived there for the remainder of their lives and the house was privately sold in the late 90s.

Sally Henderson was known for breeding pedigree Aberdeen Angus Cattle and every year won prizes at the annual spring show in Dublin.

My grandfather Johnny Harding worked on the farm as a ploughman for almost 50 years and looked after the show cattle, making the journey to Dublin every year where where he would stay for the duration of the shows usually about a week ensuring the prized animals were on top form.

It is said that Johnny would often cycle home carrying a bucket of fresh cow’s milk on the bar of his bike sharing it with neighbours in Fennor.

It was while working on the farm that he met my grandmother, Josephine Farrelly a young Duleek woman who lived and worked in the house as a maid.

By all accounts Josie enjoyed her time in Cullen House but as a talented singer with Beauparc Church Choir along with her friend, Christy Moore's mother Nancy Power, who lived in Stackallen, she was disappointed when she was unable to secure time off to sing in the 1932 Eucharistic Congress, an event celebrating the 1500th anniversary of Saint Patrick's arrival.

Flexi time had yet to land in Meath in the 1960s it seems as Johnny had to miss an historic moment when his sons, Eamon, Toddy, Anthony and Kevin won the 1968 Meath Intermediate Football Championship playing for Slane GAA.

Johnny’s brother, Peter also worked on the farm where he too met his wife Mary there. Mary had come from Leitrim along with her sister Lilly to work in the house. It seems like many a love story was born inside the grounds of the Georgian manor.

With I being her name sake I was hoping when I enquired of Sally’s character that she was someone of revere or at least someone who was not disliked. I was relieved to hear that she was indeed fondly remembered for being a kind and affable woman arriving at my grandparent’s house in Fennor every Christmas Eve with a cake, gifts and money.

A couple of years ago I went to an auction at the estate where some of the contents of the house were being sold. Any hope I had of getting a glimpse into the life of Ms. Sally in the big house were dashed as the event ended up being held in the adjoining out houses with only an obscure view of the grand house on offer.

The treasure trove of items up for bidders like imperial tea sets, wash jugs and basins, antique wooden toys, vintage radios and ornate regal mirrors did give some insight into life of the allusive period estate.

Maybe one day I’ll get inside.