Documentary makers seek memories of ‘Big Houses’ in Westmeath

The producers of a documentary about the ‘Big Houses’ of Westmeath are looking for people who may have had connections with people who worked at or who would have called to the properties during times past.

Heritage officer Melanie McQuade explains that work is about to get under way on a documentary video – or possibly a series of videos – containing the memories of the resident families as well as those of people who worked in or had other connections with these houses.

“Big Houses were the homes of local landlords and were often part of large estates,” says Melanie, adding that the focus is on the period 1913-1923.

Making the documentary is the firm Bailey and Blake Productions, working in conjunction with Westmeath County Council, supported by funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through its Decade of Centenaries Programme.

Film maker Oliver Fallen of Blake and Bailey Productions says he and the team would love to hear, and possibly record, anyone’s stories of family memories of the past 100 years in and around the Big Houses.

“Did your grandfather or grandmother work in one of the houses? Did they have any connection with supplying the house as butcher, baker or candle maker? Did their parents?

“Did they tell you those stories, if so we would love to hear them.”

Photographs would be a great addition too, Oliver says, stating that old photographs of the houses themselves would be of great interest, as would old family photographs from the time that might capture life in and around the local area during the early decades of the 20th century.

His hope is that some of the filming will be done on location at and around the big houses, wherever they get permission to so.

Melanie is enthusiastic about the project: “We are excited to be working with Blake and Bailey Production on this project,” she said this week, adding that her office will be linking too with the council’s historians in residence.

Blake and Bailey (baileyandblake.com) is an award-winning production company. One of its many productions, ‘the Blacksmith of Moydrum’, was released during Heritage Week last year: go to youtube.com and search ‘Blacksmith of Moydrum’.

If you would like to share your family memories (either on camera or voice recording) or if you have old photographs that you would like to share with the project, contact Oliver Fallen: baileyandblake1@gmail.com or text your name and number to 087 2539010 and he will get back to you. Photographs will be scanned and returned to the owners. Alternatively, for people who prefer not to release their photographs, Oliver can meet you and capture the old photographs on camera.