Living The Dream

Determined not to give up on his dream of a farmhouse and an Aga, Duncan can’t believe his luck when he finds this two story farmhouse in County Monaghan with original stable block and carriage house.

I’ve always had an ambition to live in an old farmhouse, with an Aga in the kitchen,’ says Duncan, originally from Devon and now Sales Director at both Bulmers Cider and Bibendum Wine, with a busy schedule shuttling between work commitments in Dublin and Belfast. Up until quite recently, Duncan and his wife Rhona lived in a two story, four-bedroom new build in County Monaghan, where they had moved partly for access to the M1 Dublin-Belfast route, and partly for a change in lifestyle from the big city.

Rhona had been working as cabin crew for Aer Lingus and was looking for a different pace of life. ‘I wanted to continue to work in hospitality and with people, but in a more relaxed environment’, she explains. ‘The rolling hills and narrow, winding lanes of the Monaghan countryside are truly beautiful.’ Duncan also had a background in hospitality so the couple decided to run a Bed & Breakfast. The business was a success and they ended up with two cottages used for their venture, with Duncan, who leaves for work typically at 5am, returning in time to help with the chores.