Our cottage has a name. Rose Cottage. I know that’s its name because there is a sign made of metal bolted to the outside wall beside the front door that declares it “Rose Cottage”. The sign comes complete with a garish metal rose, its bloom painted pink. Also, the auctioneer’s online listing for the cottage referred to it as “Rose Cottage”, as does the recently signed deed to the property and buildings therein.
Why is it named “Rose Cottage”? Well I suppose it could be possible that a rose bush or two once resided on this property. Possible, but looking around the place it hardly seems likely. From the front door to the very narrow, hole-ridden country road, or bóithrín, that leads to our place, the ground is covered with what the Realtors referred to as “a stone garden”. I would have called it ‘a gravel front yard’ but who am I to say? I am an American and I am not a Realtor (at least not since I let my unused Realtor license expire about 25 years ago). The rest of the property is pretty much rocky and overgrown with weeds and rushes and that tough, spiny shrub with the tiny, yellow flowers that is found anyplace in Ireland where it has not been ripped from the landscape… furze. Yep, more like “Furze Cottage” I would say.
Then there is the possibility that it is not named for a flower at all, but for a person. This cottage is over 100 years old and its history could include a person named ‘Rose’. Perhaps it’s the sad story of a lovely ‘Irish Rose’, a young bride who died too young, in childbirth perhaps, and whose young husband in his grief, christened their little home “Rose Cottage”. Or was it a more homey Rose? A sturdy countrywoman who spent her life raising children, helping her husband with the farm and lovingly cooking the family meals over the very hearth that now contains the woodburning stove in which my husband lit so many fires the three days we spent there in November? I would gladly keep the name for either of those two Roses.
So, where does this name come from? This is an important question because, due to the lack of an actual address, the name of this place is a very serious affair. As I am not particularly fond of roses I, along with Himself (my husband), decided that we would only keep the name if it is determined to have a history with the cottage and the property. Otherwise, we’ll change it. And the only way to find this out, apparently, according to any Irish person I asked, is to talk to the local postman. And speak with the local postman is exactly what my husband did when we were last in Kilkee. He stopped by the Post Office, or Oifig An Phoist, and spoke to a man sorting mail. When he inquired about the property it just so happened that our cottage was on this very man’s route. The postman assured us that this was the first time he had ever heard our cottage referred to as “Rose Cottage”. The postman asked for my husband’s last name and when my husband gave it to him he was told there is another family with the same last name on his route so he would need to know our first names as well in order to deliver our mail!
So the name “Rose Cottage” has no historical significance for our cottage. And since it has no aesthetic appeal either, it will be changed… once we think of another name. We have thought of simply changing it to its Irish translation ‘Teachín Rós’. We could call it ‘Teachín de Búrca’ for ‘Burke Cottage’. Or, maybe we should go with ‘Furze Cottage’… because after all, “… a rose by any other name… “
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January 6, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Diana
I enjoyed reading about your cottage and hope you are able to publish a picture of it. Good reading for a cold gray day.
January 6, 2010 at 1:13 pm
bloggingfromthebog
Thanks Diana! And once I get the photographs we took last time we were there off my husband’s computer and on to mine, I will insert a few.
January 6, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Mel
Your description of your cottage reminds me of a movie with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, called The Quite Man. It was set in Ireland and when you were talking about the rocks, I remembered the scene where John Wayne threw a rock, his cottage was on rocky ground also. It was such beautiful scenery, I think that it was what sparked my interest in Ireland. Have you ever seen that movie? It was a long time ago that I saw it on t.v. but well worth trying to find it again, just to see the beauty of the country.
January 6, 2010 at 4:45 pm
bloggingfromthebog
Not only did I see that movie, but I have a photo somewhere that we took of my daughter standing on the “Quiet Man Bridge” from the movie. I looked it up and the actual locals’ name for it is “Leam Bridge” and it’s located near Oughterard, County Galway. There is also a “Quiet Man Museum” in Cong, County Mayo. It’s a bit hokey, but it’s a somewhat popular tourist attraction. They give the tourists what they want!
January 6, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Mel
How neat is that!!! Also forgot to mention that the furze plant is quite pretty in its own right.
January 6, 2010 at 5:03 pm
lifeonthecutoff
Well look at you, Janet, you not only acquired a cottage, currently known as Rose Cottage, you also managed to download a picture on your third posting. I am impressed.
The Quiet Man is one of my all time favorite movies. I’ll look forward to a posting of your cottage, as well as Leam Bridge. You simply must post one day about your wood burning stove.
January 6, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Patricia
A Rose by any other name….as long as it’s a cottage in the West of Ireland, will be just as sweet. Glad to be in on the cottage beginnings and looking forward to further musings and insights on life on both sides of the Atlantic. Lovely blog. Well done Janet.
January 6, 2010 at 11:53 pm
bloggingfromthebog
Yay, Patricia, you found me! Notice how I’m sprinkling the blog with a few Irish words here and there? Shhhh… don’t let on how little I know! See you at Irish Class next week if we’re not snowed in!
January 7, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Kevin Bigley
Are you able to post pictures? You should. My vote is for Burke Cottage at this moment, however, Furze is interesting because it has to do with its surroundings, which would be subtle and discreet. Keep your options open until you fall in love with a name…
January 7, 2010 at 12:26 pm
bloggingfromthebog
Did you see the 2 photos I posted here or are you reading this from your phone and does the phone not show the pictures? I have not yet posted any photos of the cottage itself though because Declan has them on his computer and needs to put them on mine so I can use them. As far as the name goes, the longer I wait to decide the more used to “Rose Cottage” I become and I’d hate to keep it just because I’m used to it. You know, I’d love to ask the last owner if he named it that and if so, why.
January 7, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Anton
My vote is for Furze Cottage or Anton Cottage. Kate Cottage has too much bite to it and Eoin Cottage is no good – you have no hope of grow-up right if you have a cottage in Ireland named after you at the age of 7.
How about “Rose Petal Cottage”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVgHrV9H-8k
January 7, 2010 at 7:48 pm
bloggingfromthebog
How about “Loony Bin Cottage”… I’ll name it after all 3 of you! And where did you find that video? That is hilarious. Maybe I WILL go with “Rose Petal Cottage”, I’ll bet the water pipes never freeze there!