Presentation of Horse Cart by Eileen McGovern to Bawnboy Workhouse

Tuesday 23^rd April 2019

Eileen McGovern explained why she wanted her father's work to be preserved at Bawnboy Workhouse.

My father loved history and was very interested in Irish history in particular. Following his death the family were painfully aware that his cart was languishing in a closed shed, unseen and unappreciated, and the idea to have it on display in a public setting began to take shape.

It seemed fitting that we show his cart at a venue in his beloved County Cavan, and when I came across an article on the restoration of the Bawnboy Workhouse it seemed somewhat fortuitous; I then made initial contact with Dymphna, who told me of the plans to develop an agricultural museum within the Workhouse. Some months prior to this I had considered Dowra Courthouse (another recently restored building of historical importance) as a possible suitable venue to display the cart, but unfortunately there was no access wide enough to allow the cart into the building or indeed a suitably large area in which to display it. However, I am hopeful that Dowra Courthouse committee may allow some sort of visual reference to the Bawnboy Workhouse and the cart to be put on display in Dowra Courthouse at some stage in the future. This would, I hope, encourage visitors to Dowra to take a trip to Bawnboy Workhouse to see this important historical site for themselves.

A Tribute to Terence McGovern (Terry Luke)

“He was a great man, your father”.
How many times have I and my five siblings heard that phrase over the years. And indeed he was.
Terence Joseph McGovern, or “Terry Luke” as he was known, was born to Peter and Ellen McGovern in January 1930 in the townland of Tullinamoile, Dowra, Co Cavan. He left his homeland, as many did at that time, with his new bride, Breege Dolan, and set sail for a new life in England in 1959. Sadly, rural Ireland had little to offer them at that time, and their move to the second city was typical of many young people who were compelled to relocate to places such as London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham to seek work and prosperity. And prosper they did. Work was plentiful, housing fairly affordable, and above all there was a growing network of Irish beginning to settle in the larger cities, thus providing a tangible link with home.
My parents went on to raise a family of six; three boys and three girls. My father initially worked as a tram driver and later obtained work on building sites; over time he became a skilled carpenter and worked in this field until his retirement. Some of his claims to fame include having worked on the construction of the M6 motorway, Spaghetti Junction and the Aston Villa Football ground. He was, of course, one of many Irish workers who were not afraid of hard work, and who were fundamental in the construction of much of the road network in many UK cities today.
Over the years he honed his skills in carpentry and engineering, often spending days at a time in his little workshop at the bottom of the garden in his home in Birmingham. No formal qualification was ever earned; he was self-taught and, being naturally blessed with an intrinsic sense of how things worked, he became a great engineer.
In 1976 he purchased what can only be described as four stone walls; the remains of a cottage in his beloved Dowra, and he worked tirelessly over the years to make this into a modest but welcoming holiday home, which he and the family continue to enjoy to the present today. This little house was his pride and joy, and again was built with his own hands.
Following his retirement he always had a project or two in the pipeline, and in 2010, his eightieth year, he decided to build a cart, the design being based on one he recalled being used by his family when he was a child.
Some of the components for the cart you see here today were created in his workshop in Birmingham, others in his shed at his home in Dowra. Suitable timber was sourced both in England and in Ireland. His understanding of wood led him to make the choice of elm for the wheel centres, and this was sourced in Co Cavan. The biggest challenge was to build a functioning wheel, and there were many prototypes created (displayed here in Bawnboy Workhouse) in the quest for perfection. Engineering aids were built to facilitate the making of the cart, and his aged brother, Pat, was on hand to assist with the blacksmithing side of things as the cart wheel irons were fashioned. Everything you see on the cart today was created by this talented man, with the exception of the name plate; an indulgence he allowed himself to have made and to proudly display on this labour of love.
Also displayed here in Bawnboy Workhouse are a selection of hames, saddles and a creel, again all handmade by my father. (Photos here)
Terry Luke passed away peacefully at his home in Birmingham in August 2017. He led a full and active life, and was busy welding the day before he took his leave of this world that summer.
This cart and other items are proudly on loan to Bawnboy Workhouse in his memory, by his wife Breege, and children Gerard, Eileen, Tony, Sarah, Marie and Terence.