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my home in one photo
'I wouldn't change one thing': Geraldine takes us inside her warm and welcoming Limerick living room
Geraldine’s cosy Limerick cottage was built in 1911.
EACH WEEK, WE ask someone based in Ireland with a passion for interiors to share one photo of their favourite spot in their home.
Geraldine Clancy moved into a two-bedroom cottage in south-east Limerick in 2017, after living in a larger four-bedroom home for more than 10 years.
“My home was built in 1911 as a labourer’s cottage. Like so many in rural Ireland, it has thick stone walls, red bricks surrounding the door and windows with a slate roof,” says Geraldine.
It’s located on a perfectly flat acre of land in front of the ruins of an old castle with a river running behind. How amazing is that?
This week, Geraldine chatted us through her favourite spot: her living room.
What do you love about this part of your home?
It’s just cosy. The room enfolds you.
What’s your favourite object in here and why?
My late husband’s Akubra hat that you can see hanging on the door. It’s an Australian traditional cattleman’s hat made of felt.
We moved to Australia in 1988, and he very sadly passed away after a long illness in 2004, so I returned to Ireland in 2006. The hat reminds me of him and of our life ‘down under’.
Be honest: how much tidying did you do before taking this photo?
Genuinely not a lot. Living on my own and working full-time means I don’t have to do much – once it’s done it’s done. My dog sheds hair 24/7 so I vacuum about four times a day, otherwise there would be fur balls the size of small continents around the house.
What was your inspiration when you were putting this room together?
My inspiration was my own imaginings about how people might have lived in the cottage when it was first built – but only if they could time-travel and had a lot of money! Just imagine: the convenience of electricity, comfort and warmth, washing machines and bathrooms. Few labourers and their families could afford even the most meagre of life’s comforts in 1911.
Is there anything in here you’d like to change?
I wouldn’t change a thing.
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