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Where is it from?
Cruckaclady Farmhouse came from the townland of Cruckaclady, Co. Tyrone. It was built on the country road between the village of Plumbridge and the town of Strabane.
The farmhouse was built in the early 1800s. It had been among a number of rural houses grouped together in a cluster (clachan). By 1900, the other dwellings had gone. The farmhouse was dismantled and moved to the museum in 1974.
Why is it special?
The Cruckaclady farmhouse is built on a sloping site. The house is distinctive, in that the bedroom is placed over the cattle byre. During the winter, warmth of the livestock housed in the byre helped heat the bedroom above. Both house and byre share a common roof but the byre is separated from the house by a stone partition wall. The entrance to the byre is at the back of the house.
Positioning the byre under the bedroom saved considerably on the materials needed to provide shelter for both humans and animals. The positioning of the byre at the lower end of the house meant that effluent flowed away from the dwelling.
Who lived there?
By the late 19th and early 20th century, the house was inhabited by the McNally and McBride families.
The 1901 census reports that Owen McNally, a farmer and widower, was living at Cruckaclady with his son, Edward, his daughter, Rose McBride, and her husband, Patrick McBride. Owen could speak both English and Irish, and was listed as the landholder.
After Owen's death, Patrick was listed as the landholder in the 1911 census. Rose's brother Edward passed away in 1917 at 59 years old.
During the 1900s, most Irish farmers worked more with animals than with growing crops. Patrick McBride‘s small farm was about 10 acres. The land was rough and hilly and he used it mostly for grazing cattle. Chickens were kept in a small shed beside the house. Patrick also owned a horse. Some potatoes and oats were grown on the farm but the main crop was hay, which was used to feed the cattle and horse.
Patrick and Rose McBride
Patrick and Rose married in 1899. They had three children, though sadly none survived to adulthood. Patrick and Rose are said to have adopted a boy, who left home at a young age and may have moved to England or Scotland.
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Patrick McBride was the last occupant of the farmhouse. He died in 1953, and his wake was held in the house. It was organised by his friends and surviving family. Although it was a time of grieving and prayer, the wake lasted long into the early hours of the morning as those gathered remembered and celebrated Patrick's long life.
