Near Keenaghan Lough, not far from Belleek, lies a traditional cottage nestled in a fairytale setting.

This little haven was completely renovated by Tyrone woman Lisa McWilliams and her family, who in 2020 bought the property and fell in love with its charm.

Talking to The Impartial Reporter, Lisa said: “2020 was a year like no other. When everyone else was panic-buying, I bought an abandoned thatched cottage!”

Lisa admitted that people thought her family was “crazy” for taking on such a task: “People said we should toss it and build a bungalow, but we just followed our hearts and kept going.”

Lisa and her husband, Owen, are from a construction background and worked hand and hand throughout the project.

Their three teenage children even joined in to help breathe new life into the vulnerable property.

“Protecting these properties is so important. We are losing them at an alarming rate. My husband and I share a love for everything old, and we recognise thatched cottages as a very important part of our Irish heritage,” added Lisa.

Lisa, who grew up very close to her grandparents, has a respect for the older generation and what they have endured.

“We see these thatched cottages as much more than just a dwelling from the past; we see them as the places that reared a large, hard-working family that often emigrated and helped to build the rest of the world.”

Talking about the cottage’s rich history, Lisa said “We were blessed when a local gentleman – a previous owner of Keenaghan Cottage – called to us one day and left a bag of old photographs and detailed notes on the cottage, and the nearby abbey.

“He even left us a rare, hand-printed plate of the cottage from Belleek Pottery that we were delighted with!”

The listed, Irish thatched cottage dates back more than 300 years, while Keenaghan Abbey, across the lake, dates all the way back to 888 ¬– more than 1,000 years.

When it came to the restoration of the old property, Lisa said, “It wasn’t for the faint-hearted and most people would have run a mile, but it was a labour of love from start to finish.”

The family replaced the thatch, wooden windows and doors. Inside, Lisa said was a “gut-out” and almost everything was redone.

They preserved the old ‘Ingle nook’ fireplace, which was intact, but the old stove and fireplace in the bedroom were replaced. The walls were built with Fermanagh stones and plastered using horse hair.

The self-confessed interior design enthusiast says her favourite room in the house is the living room.

“It’s a room in which you could really live. With the traditional half door connecting you to the outside when the sun shines, it is beautiful, and in the winter, it is so cosy beside the fireplace with family and friends.”

She continued “All the décor has been picked up locally at auctions, keeping with the character of the property.”

Lisa and Owen admit that they are thrilled with the result and to be able to preserve this precious thatched cottage for the next generation – in fact, they already have a similar project under way in County Donegal.

On their interest in such thatched cottages and old homes, Lisa said: “Watch this space! We will not be able to rescue them all, but one by one, we can try.”

For further information on Keenaghan Cottage, that is now available as a holiday let, see www.keenaghancottage.com.