Ballyvollen Houses
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In 1905, one of these houses was occupied by Hugh McGarry and his wife Elizabeth. They had married in 1904. Hugh was a fisherman and boat-builder, but he supplemented his income in summer by ferrying picnic parties across the Lough to Rams Island.
The three houses are of great architectural interest because their roofs are supported by 17th century oak cruck-trusses of an English type. Built most probably in the second half of the 17th century, after the widespread property damage during the failed 1641 Rebellion, the roof timbers are representative of the building skills and techniques brought into Ireland by English settlers.
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The houses were sited close to the highest navigable point on the Glenavy River, which ran behind them into Lough Neagh. The river, well known for salmon and trout, had at least one corn mill and a flock (textile) mill along its short course.
The adjacent basket-maker's workshop has been built as part of the complex to emphasise the importance of this craft along the southern and eastern shores of Lough Neagh.
Original location: Ballyvollen, Crumlin, County Antrim
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