Where the heart is: An Irish cottage

Words and photos Ros Woodham

It’s springtime in the south-west of Ireland and the elements are giving it their best shot as I drive deep into County Kerry. The dark, knotted rain clouds over the Atlantic add a sense of mystery to the rugged coastline, and isolated rays catch earthy colours in patches across the mountainsides. I’m searching for a remote cottage in the heart of the Iveragh Peninsula. 

The satnav tells me I’ve arrived. Thick vegetation along the driveway parts to unveil a traditional Irish cottage, kissed by a moment of evening sunlight and exuding just the charm I had hoped for. Constructed using locally sourced materials, like all cottages, it blends seamlessly into the Irish landscape, ingeniously designed to withstand the often harsh and unpredictable weather. 

A large German shepherd escapes from behind the half-door to check me out, then, thankfully, decides I am less interesting than the scents to be found around the garden. 

Daniel O’Meara and Annamaria Diana welcome me warmly, reassure me that Anu (the dog) is ‘grand’ and equip me with a proper jacket, deeming my own attire unfit for the unseasonal chill in the air. They lead me deeper into the plot, making the most of this dry spell as the forecast for the next day is not good. It’s a great opportunity to put my camera to work; the vantage point from behind the cottage takes in the peninsula’s southern expanse towards Ballinskelligs. The scene encapsulates the cottage and its allure as an icon of old romantic Ireland.

Before we go inside, I’m invited for a drink in the polytunnel. Trays of seedlings flourish beneath a playful network of solar-powered fairy lights, suggesting an environmentally conscious couple with a yearning for self-sufficiency. There’s a well-used table and some chairs inside the door where Dan and Anna often sit to enjoy the magic that is cultivated here.

Inside the cottage, I’m immediately struck by the intimate spaces adorned with diverse ethnic artefacts and souvenirs. Every inch of wall space is clad with bookshelves brimming with titles covering history, archaeology, culture and travel. Open hearths pump out heat from their glowing embers, forcing the worst of the chill away. It’s cosy, comfortable, captivating. 

Originally from Limerick, the cottage has been Dan’s home for over twenty years. Although he and Anna are from different cultural backgrounds, a shared profession and interests brought them together in 2016. They are both highly accomplished archaeologists, and their paths crossed on the Island of Westray in Orkney as part of the select team investigating the Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements there. Their specific professional fields continue to take them in different directions, but they always come back together at the cottage where they’ve created their cherished rustic, down-to-earth home. 

A graduate of Cork University, Dan has worked as a professional archaeologist for thirty years on over 300 excavations and research projects. The job has taken him to five continents, including stints in Bolivia, Argentina, India, France and Tunisia, but much of his work for the last fourteen years has been at the site in Orkney. It was there in 2015 that he first started using photogrammetry to create 3D models of sites and artefacts. He now teaches recording and surveying methodologies at the Irish Archaeology Field School. While the camera has been an essential part of the recording process at work, he also enjoys landscape and astrophotography and is well known in the area for his stunning prints. 

Anna’s strong sense of family is firmly rooted in her Sicilian and Transylvanian heritage. She grew up in the family home on the lower slopes of Mount Etna. Her studies have taken her from Italy to Germany and Scotland where she was awarded an MSc and PhD in Human Osteoarchaeology. Her impressive academic and professional credentials have allowed her to work both as a field archaeologist and a bioarchaeologist on sites in Italy, Morocco, Romania, the UAE, Georgia and the UK.

Her research interests range from the impact of climate change on human past and present populations to the development of strategies and methods for the protection and contextual analysis of human skeletal remains found on archaeological and forensic sites. Although the pandemic caused serious disruption to Anna’s career opportunities, she continued to plan and build a non-profit bioarchaeology field school in Transylvania together with a Romanian colleague. In the summer of 2023 they welcomed their first students, who came to study one of the many picturesque Saxon villages scattered across the region’s landscape.

Travel has been an integral part of both Anna’s and Dan’s lives. Between them, they have visited almost 50 countries. When I ask for some highlights, Dan reels off a long list, supported by an extensive photo archive. I’m drawn to his account of a trip in 2008 when he bought two horses and spent six weeks crossing the Himalayas through Ladakh and Zanskar, areas only accessible for three months of the year. 

Anna is a keen illustrator and classically trained pianist, but her passion is for cooking, relishing its importance in bringing friends and family together. 

Dan’s infectious enthusiasm for his lifestyle and Anna’s inherent warmth make me feel perfectly at home. If the forecast is correct, we won’t be venturing out too far tomorrow, but I’m appeased by the prospect of photographing this wonderful interior and spending more time sinking into the sofa beside the giant German shepherd, sampling a fine wine from Dan’s collection and listening to more fascinating stories of this couple’s endeavours. Let it rain. 

You can sample Dan O’Meara’s photography and photo essays at danomearaphotography.com 

• ‘Where the heart is: An Irish cottage’ is published in Anthology Volume 20. Read more features from this volume or buy it now.
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