Margaret's Cottage opens for summer as Carrigallen volunteers welcome renewed interest
Community prepares visitor attraction for new season following renewed interest in Margaret Haughery's legacy
Volunteers have reopened Margaret’s Cottage near Carrigallen for the summer season following recent preparations at the visitor attraction, as the Margaret of New Orleans Community Association reports renewed interest in the life of Margaret Haughery.
The cottage opened for the summer season with a Family Craft Activity Day on July 12, featuring live music, poetry, storytelling, boxty-making, arts and crafts and other activities.
During the summer, visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the cottage and grounds, followed by tea and scones, while learning about Margaret’s life.
The Margaret of New Orleans Community Association has seen increased interest in Margaret’s story after Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke about her during his St Patrick’s Day visit to the United States.
When meeting President Donald Trump at the US Capitol, the Taoiseach told the US President about Margaret Haughery, who he said had greatly enriched America’s story.
Margaret Haughery was born in Carrigallen in 1813 and emigrated to the United States with her parents when she was five years old. After being orphaned at the age of nine, Margaret lived in Baltimore before moving to New Orleans at 21.
Following the deaths of her husband and daughter during outbreaks of cholera and yellow fever, Margaret devoted herself to supporting local orphans, becoming a philanthropist and a prominent figure in New Orleans society.
She became known as the “Bread Woman of New Orleans” and the “Mother of Orphans”. Following her death in 1882, she was given a state funeral, while a statue was erected in New Orleans in her honour — the first of its kind in US history to honour a member of the public.
In 2013, local volunteers from the association led a campaign to develop Margaret’s Cottage, a replica of her original home, on a site near Margaret’s homeplace in Tully South, Carrigallen.
The volunteer group has spent recent weeks preparing the cottage for its summer season, which began this week.
The cottage is maintained by the voluntary committee, which has developed links with people in New Orleans where Margaret’s legacy continues to be honoured.
In 2024, the organisation led a second project to redevelop a property in Carrigallen, transforming it into the Margaret’s Corner Community Centre.
The centre served as a meeting point for displaced Ukrainians following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and currently hosts language courses, exercise classes and other community events.
The group has also published a children’s book, Margaret of New Orleans – from Carrigallen to New Orleans, by Jon Berkley.
Visitors to Margaret’s Cottage can hear how Margaret established a bakery, providing bread to orphanages throughout the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods.
Despite being unable to read or write, Margaret went on to achieve success in business, which allowed her to invest in the construction and refurbishment of orphanages in New Orleans.
Commenting on the renewed interest in Margaret’s life, Maura Williamson of the Margaret of New Orleans Community Association said: "We have seen great interest in Margaret since the Taoiseach recounted her story on St Patrick’s Day to an audience of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“For a group of volunteers committed to highlighting her deep impact on American life, it was fantastic to hear her hailed by Micheál Martin as the embodiment of what’s best about being Irish in the United States."