Sam’s Cottage
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samscottage.bsky.social
Sam’s Cottage
@samscottage.bsky.social
A traditional Irish cottage in Co Antrim, Ireland restored in 2023-24.

"It is time now for me to build a house...
A house which, seen, will be recognised
As a dwelling and yet an outcrop, part of the place".
John Hewitt

www.samscottage.co.uk
I have never seen one of these in Ireland before. Calliteara pudibunda, I think. My (gardening) fingers for scale at one point. Beautiful creature.
October 18, 2025 at 9:27 AM
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I wish I had been able to go on a weekend like this when I was an undergraduate. If you've ever wondered about the houses of ordinary folk in history, or (if you know me) wondered what it is that I actually get up to, then book in and have an amazing weekend in Oxfordshire!
New to vernacular architecture and want to find out more? Why not come along to our training and study weekend at Sutton Courteney Abbey in Oxfordshire on 4-5 October 2025, and discover how we go about examining buildings? Further details at www.vag.org.uk/conferences.....
September 1, 2025 at 10:51 PM
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An absolutely pleasure to speak to Bracebridge Heath U3A today about mud and stud, and a delight to be speaking to Horncastle History & Heritage Society tomorrow evening - in the heart of Mud & Stud country!
September 16, 2025 at 3:39 PM
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Who doesn’t love an Irish cottage?
‘Lost Houses’ showcases forgotten homes & overlooked architectural fragments in Galway City’s rich cultural & social landscape, in the Architecture At The Edge exhibition 2025 👏 Visited with students from BA Design @atu-ie.bsky.social @oflynnatu.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Calling all #arachnophiles

Is it just me or are spiders getting bigger? Is it climate change or just a propitious year for them? This chap was photographed just before being caught and released 40 or so meters away. For scale the worktop is 3cms.

what species & have these always been in Ireland?
October 9, 2025 at 8:38 AM
@trcava.bsky.social any idea what is happening here? I accept the they are not unusual on a fallen log, but at the base of (what I hope is) a healthy tree

It's in Ireland.
October 5, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Storm Amy in County Antrim. It is not so much the wind as the noise. The dog is a bit spooked.
October 3, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Are spiders in Ireland bigger than they used to be? I don't ever remember seeing any as big as this when I was wee (unfortunately this one is no longer with us, but it is more compliant at being measured). 8cm leg span!
October 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The story of Sam’s Cottage.

If outside the UK you may need a VPN.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Restoration Rescue - Series 2: 1. Ballymena Cottage
Architect Patrick Bradley meets a couple in Ballymena who are on a mission to restore a row of derelict cottages into their new family home.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 27, 2025 at 8:42 AM
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𝗧𝗩 | Can a crumbling 19th-century cottage become a dream home?

Join Ballymena’s Stephen and Marie as they team up with architect Patrick Bradley to save a piece of Northern Ireland’s heritage in Restoration Rescue.

Photos and more below!
Restoration Rescue: Ballymena couple revive historic cottages in new BBC Series
Discover how Ballymena’s Stephen and Marie restore 19th-century cottages with architect Patrick Bradley in BBC’s Restoration Rescue. Watch on BBC iPlayer from 22 September.
www.loveballymena.online
September 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
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We welcome the Climate Change Advisory Council’s Annual Review of the Built Environment, which strongly echoes long-standing civil society calls for decisive government action to decarbonise Ireland’s homes & protect people from energy poverty.

Find out more👇

bit.ly/45NkTqu
Climate Advisory Council Call for End to Fossil Fuels in Homes
No More Winters of Cold Homes, High Bills, and Fossil Fuels: Friends of the Earth Welcomes Advisory Council’s Calls for Change
www.friendsoftheearth.ie
September 3, 2025 at 2:49 PM
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Epstein survivors say they’re compiling their own client list.

“We know who abused us. We saw who came and went. This list will be survivor-led—for survivors”
September 3, 2025 at 3:57 PM
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'This country needs migrants'

Zack Polanski, the new leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, speaks to #BBCBreakfast about his views on immigration
September 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM
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So our military just bombed a boat in international waters and extrajudicially killed suspected drug traffickers without so much as a conversation, let alone a trial?
Then posted it on social media?

And we’re all supposed to just trust their account?
September 3, 2025 at 2:01 AM
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That Pritzker press conference was... surreal, and I think marks a significant moment of escalation in the constitutional omni-crisis. This was the governor of a state saying plainly the Union itself is being torn apart and his state is being militarily invaded by an authoritarian regime.
September 2, 2025 at 9:53 PM
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Climate change deniers now going from “the earth is not warming up” to “ yes the earth is warming up but it’s cyclical. It’s natural and not man made”. Why do they think scientists with no political association are lying to them? Why do they think scientists are wrong and Richard Tice is right?
September 1, 2025 at 6:42 PM
A mast year, but the storms have taken their toll.
August 31, 2025 at 2:50 PM
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You have to start to wonder if the interior decorator is actually trolling him.
August 27, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Late evening sun in Ireland.
August 27, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Looking towards Mull. Beautiful.
August 16, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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July 26, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Glorious. Sam's Cottage. Co. Antrim.
June 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
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We’re giving a shoutout to one of nature’s hands-on dads!

Male Curlews take an active role in raising their young. They help incubate the eggs, protect the nest, and look after the chicks once they hatch. Their commitment is crucial to the survival of these special birds.

📷 Tony Pope
June 15, 2025 at 8:40 AM