At Home With Series#Franky Warde-Inch Bofin Carriages

​Franky Warde
Clonterm County Longford, back home where he grew up, schooled in Stone Park primary, and went to St Mel’s, Parents Brian & Josephine, his mum Josephine was born in Westmeath on an island called Inch Bofin island, his father was brought up where he is now, his grandfathers had moved there
Went to England when he was just 16 years of age, worked on Buildings did mainly block work and some roofing, came back home and went on to New York to do same few years.
When he came back home to Ireland he stayed awhile, studied many course related to Construction,  before jetting off again, this time Spain, back home now over eight years. Three years ago he bought a carriage off of a neighbour, Ned McCoppin, he restored it messed around with it, found something he liked doing, and didn’t his grandfather Jack and grandmother Annie moved here to Clonterm set up a place to work, had his own forge, fixed carriages and made them, up to 13 men worked there, had a steamer and a saw mill where he would cut wood to order for people.
The building that is now, storage for firewood turf etc., Franky’s grandfather turned it into a cow shed when he had moved here firstly.  But back many many years ago, 1800’s, during rebel days, three priests use to live in it, was a thatched home, one of the priests, was accused of being an informer, subsequently the house went up on fire, one of the priest died, two priests went to a new home beside curry church, within County Longford also, where it was said that from atop room they could see all of Clonterm, they cursed the land that it would never be fruitful.
Not only was that a home, cow shed, storage room, was actually also for a time, changing rooms for Longford Town FC, there use to be a football pitch out in the front field, Frankie remembers seeing a goal posts, but was too young to rem the football being played there, was before Abbeycartron was built.
Franky’s father Brian was a keen football player, played for many teams, work and played for Provider’s, among others, in one of the photographs playing in the greyhound track, when there was a pitch there.
Franky after many years traveling working on building trade went up in smoke, wanted to do something different, and that’s when he decided on getting the carriage off his neighbour see was there anything in that, liked it and wanted to take it further, there wasn’t many doing it in Ireland, got in contact with a Eugene in Larkin in Belfast, wheelwrights, form a distance talking on phone Eugene helped Frankie and Frankie two years ago seen there was a trade in it. Approached the local enterprises board felt there was trade in it. So he went out on his own, still going strong, was in the Longford Leader, a while ago for a carriage I built fist handsome cab,  to be built in Ireland for over a hundred years.
 Guy called Zen form Germany helped him build it, Zen came to Frankie through a very international based programme , called Work Away, where people from across the world would go to a hosts home and work with said host for free for bed and board. 20 people have since came that have helped him no end, living on such a big piece of land. He hasn’t the time to do everything, a friend of his, had said about this programme, and he has had various people that have come and stayed since he registered as a host.  Different people's experiences knowledge, was a German guy Zen helped Frankie with a website, he has had carpenters amongst many others. Currently there are two now with him, I included the couple within photographs, all the way from Hawaii.
The young Lady Summer Rose Mauigoa, and her cousin just finished high school Dakota Soliai, form Wahiawa Hawaii, where summer rose went to stay with her relatives but originally from Utah America.
From pineapple farms to Bog lands, in the middle of Ireland, as you can see in pics quite happy stacking turf, they intend to travel the world on a free, and Ireland is there first place there is five all together, of them traveling the world.  Two with Franky, they are heading for London next. have to say sweetest people I have ever met, softly spoken well mannerly. I asked them of their opinion of Ireland, said yes we like it,  the people are so friendly and kind, we spent our first nights living rough on the streets in Dublin, was a guy living on the streets that gave us 30 euro to come to Longford. The country it is very green, like something out of a fairy tale summer rose said, and look at us here, we are stacking turf.
Frankie plans on growing, lots of new things in the pipeline, I am kept busy, from mending and making carriage’s, to some been in film, TV shows. I called the business inch Bofin Carriages, after where my mother was born, also have a wheelwright’s shop, where I can do quick repairs even on weekends, and be it rubber or repairing the whole lot. Rental for weddings, tours around Longford. Coach Building for any size need required, maybe your very own handsome Cab or a swift trap, for racing down the field, cover all needs are met. My Grandfather had the shoeing down near the home entrance; my father would have to run back and forth with buckets of water. when shoeing you need to have the wheel, very hot to make it do what you want, but when you cool it down you would have to cool it down evenly around, my father had to run back and forth very quickly to my Grandfather Jack whom I’m sure would have been shouting at him, AS you can see I can do it with hose right beside where I do the shoeing.
Franky’s partner is a big of him, Bridie Corcoran, as you can see by some of the photographs very hands on help. You can check below link to Frankie’s page Inch boffin carriages, and also the world is you oyster with Work Away.
 
http://www.inchbofincarriages.ie/
https://www.workaway.info/