Travelling further south is the townland of Gurteen or Goirtín, which means 'Little Field'. At one time, Gurteen was famous for being a stop on the Cork-Muskerry Rail Line. The station house is gone but the memories of the building are still enshrined in the mind of local resident Margaret Harrington who lives in a bungalow on the site. Margaret's mother was Nellie O'Brien from Annemount, Friar's Walk. She married Jack Field in 1942. Jack was from Freemount originally but his family moved into the Gurteen Station House in 1935, a year after the rail line closed. Nellie on marrying Jack moved in. They had two daughters, Margaret and Mary. Jack worked in John A. Woods and was a very keen gardener. Neighbours asked him to rear cabbage plants for them. The family lived in the house until 1962. They then moved into the nearby cottage of Pat Larimore who died in the same year. The Harrington family built a new house on the site of the station house in 1984.

The hinges of the gate that stopped traffic to leave the train across the Gurteen road can still be seen in an old stone wall. The stones of the station house have been built into the garden wall-driveway wall of an adjacent house of the Olden family. In a sense each of the stones of the Olden's wall now holds the memories of all those passengers who ventured into this region of County Cork on business or to enjoy the scenery. It's hard to imagine though a mode of transport moving at ten miles an hour compared to our fast moving world of today. Looking back from my perspective as a researcher, there is that sense of this train moving slowly as if relishing every metre of its journey, a world in which people were given ample opportunity to enjoy the rich tranquil feel of the countryside, a feeling so different to urban fast paced life from which the train departed from and returned to everyday.

Further south from the site of the old station house is Fairy House cross, an intersection of three country roads but a mini oasis has been created in the centre. I encountered the site by accident whilst exploring the area. Local man Brian Flynn explained that the site was originally a rubbish dump and a dangerous intersection for transport who could not see traffic coming around the corner. The small community of 25 houses of Gurteen, Ballyanley and Faha aspired to change its appearance. The site was chosen as an activity to improve the area. The site was chosen to create an oasis. Some of the community members were keen gardeners and landscaped the overgrown roundabout area. The community got help from the County Council who provided the community with materials. The site was named Gurteen Cross but the community re-named the site Fairy House Cross to give it a special, important if not mythical feel.

To be continued…

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