A couple renovating a traditional farmhouse has found historic treasures hidden behind wall panels and in the ground.

Grace McDonnell and Declan McCarthy started renovations on their future home near Clonakilty in September. One afternoon they removed wooden wall panels and found a sign dating back to 1960, alongside old documents from more than a century ago, photographs showing farm life and even jewellery that previous owners had left behind.

Grace, who works as manager of a gym in Cork city, said the sign had the name Con McCarthy written on it, also the address 16 Clogheen Road, Clonakilty.

Grace said: ‘It’s really exciting to find these pieces from history. We are trying to get a feel of what the house was like and all of the finds bring it back to life a little bit.

‘The sign was one of the first things we found and it could have been left by someone who was doing work on the house, maybe a painter or decorator.’

‘We’d been looking for a house to buy for nearly three years and were really unsuccessful. So we’re very happy to have found this beautiful place,’ added Grace.

The home owners also found a document detailing the purchase of two graves in Dunmanway in 1926, a golden necklace showing the profile of a woman’s face and an indenture they believe was written in the pre-1900s.

According to historic records the couple researched, the farmhouse was first built in the early 1800s and previously owned by the McCarthy family. Grace said it was a happy coincidence that her partner Declan, who works as an engineer, was also a McCarthy. One of the next goals for the historic makeover is to bring back the huge open fireplace with its traditional Pierce hearth that is a centrepiece of the house.

Grace added: ‘We want to bring back as many old features as possible. Both me and my partner love the old style of it. I find comfort in old ways and I like the cosy feel of an Irish cottage.’

Grace has been documenting the historic treasures and progress of the renovation project on social media, with one of her videos racking up 10,000 views in just a few weeks.

‘It was a video about an old horse drawn mower we dug up. At first we thought it was an old wheel but there was much more of it hidden in the ground. It’s fully intact still and we will try and get it cleaned up and keep it as a showpiece on the farm.’

Grace said she started to post images and videos online so that family abroad could follow the renovation. She said it was also a good way of keeping a record of the progress of the renovations–a different kind of historic record. You can follow the farmhouse renovation project on Instagram @tigh_mac