Glendeer preparing to reopen after longest winter

Easter (twice). Halloween. Christmas. Over the last year, occasions normally marked with special attractions at Glendeer Pet Farm have come and gone while its gates remained shut.

Now, however, the paint brushes and power hose are out as the family-run facility prepares to open, for the first time since September, on Saturday, May 1.

Kevina O'Connell and her sister Charlotte were busy at work on the farm in Drum when contacted by the Westmeath Independent recently. Kevina said there had been a very positive reaction to the news that people will soon be able to visit again.

"We posted (online) that we were hoping to reopen on May 1, and there's been a good bit of feedback since. The phone has been ringing, and more emails and enquiries have been coming in," she said.

"I suppose people feel that it's a safe place to come, because it is mainly outdoors and they want to get out and do things with their kids."

A typical season at Glendeer starts around St Patrick's Day and runs to the end of September, followed by a temporary reopening for Halloween and in the lead-up to Christmas.

All of those milestones were missed last year, as were the school tours which typically came in May and June, but the farm was open for the months of July, August and September.

"Last summer was good, for the three months that we had," said Kevina.

"In September the kids were back to school, so it was quieter, but it was a busier September than we would have had in other years because people were still keen to get out while they could."

Special safety measures were introduced during the summer to limit numbers in the indoor areas of the farm.

"We restricted the number of people in our indoor petting barn, and we had less animals in there. We'd only allow in a certain number of people, and it was the same with the outdoor play area.

"People were quite happy, and very understanding. Instead of having your busy Saturday and Sunday, as you'd have in other years, it balanced out with good numbers visiting throughout the week."

There are about 50 different species of animals and birds at the farm, and the costs of looking after them continue irrespective of whether the farm is open or not.

"The running costs, the overheads, are always there. That's why we initially started our winter events, to keep us in a better position for the months we are closed but that was obviously a longer period than usual last year and this year.

"We would have well over 100 animals and birds, so it's a lot of mouths to feed!"

This year is the 30th anniversary of the opening of Glendeer Pet Farm, which was started by Kevina's parents, Phil and Eamon O'Connell.

She explained that there was plenty of work to be done to get everything ready for the return of visitors during the May Bank Holiday weekend.

"We're doing the general day-to-day stuff all year round, in terms of cleaning out from the animals, keeping them healthy and obviously feeding them every day.

"But in the last month we've been well into painting and freshening everything up, so there's a good bit to do!"

She pointed out that interacting with the animals in a facility like Glendeer can be positive outlet for children in a variety of ways.

"I know kids are back in school now but it's good for them to be in a fun environment where they can let off steam and see other children, even if they're not interacting with them.

"There's the social aspect, getting to see the animals out in the fresh air, and maybe learning a bit about them.

"Also, there are kids with additional needs who like to be near animals, and some families aren't able to have that at home. The animals can be a calming influence on some kids, so there are a lot of different benefits."

Kevina was keeping her fingers crossed that, once this reopening takes place, Glendeer won't be forced to close again due to the pandemic.

"That is a worry, and I suppose everyone is in the same boat when you're in business at the moment. But you just have to keep going and hope for the best.

"Our parents are that bit older, so they would be a concern to us when we're mixing with the public, even though we have every protocol in place in terms of protective screens, one-way systems, and staff being well-educated on safety and the regulations.

"You would worry about your own family when you are that bit more exposed than you have been. But we still need to go out and do what we have to do to keep the business going.

"Hopefully it will be a good season and hopefully we will be staying open," she concluded.