Tom Bolger's Belville years

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## The Belville (Strawhall) Years

Almost immediately Tom was offered a job working in the gardens of the Sugar Factory.. He was only there a week, when the call went up from the manager (a **Mr Theodore Hayek)** for somebody to take on the job of looking after his own garden at Belville (a mansion next to the Sugar factory itself in the Strawhall district of Carlow Town), which was the Sugar Factory managers own residence .

The job included maintaining the vegetable garden that included many varieties of traditional German and Belgian vegetables. Tom was volunteered as the other man he was working with felt that he could not take on the job as he did not know enough about vegetables and Swedes grown from German seeds.

Tom was sent straight up from the factory to take over the garden. However because it had started to get too late in the day (it was late in the afternoon when he arrived), he did not do too much work other than weigh up the jobs that needed to be undertaken.. However the next day, and went to straight to work on the grounds. He was not too long in the garden when the Sugar Factory managers wife Mrs Hayek appeared along with the local district nurse, Nurse Smith whom Tom knew well.

Tom made himself known and Nurse Smith introduced him to the managers wife. A friendship was soon struck, and in quite a short time it was apparent that Tom impressed the Hayeks. The residents in a cottage in the grounds were about the move out, and so impressed were the Hayeks with Tom, that they offered him and Esther the use of the cottage, which they accepted.

This in turn meant that Toms job evolved into more than just that of a gardener. He would become gardener, caretaker and in times when the Hayeks were entertaining would also become (along occasionally with Esther ) part time servant to any guests in residence.

In return Tom and Esther were given the house to rent, (which the Hayeks had revamped for them by fitting electricity to give them lighting), a good wage, and as much wood and fuel that they needed in order to make a fire. Tom and Esther had secured their first proper house to live in.. Esther struck up quite friendship with Mrs Hayek as indeed Tom did with Mr Hayek.

## Life at Belville (Strawhall)

With security of a steady job, a home, and the arrival of electricity, Tom and Esther found themselves able to start a family. Sure enough along came Eileen Bolger on the 11th of July 1927 which created great excitement in both the Bolger and the Hayek households.

File:Tom bolger 13.jpg

**An Aerial Photo of Belville ( top right ) and the cottage ( bottom left ) where Tom and Esther Bolger lived**

Eileen’s early years were spent playing with the small daughter of the Hayek's who was only a year or two older. The two were very united. Eileen was eventually followed by the arrival of Rose Bolger (on the 28th May 1931)

Tom and Esther in fact lived happily at Belville for about seven years, until the Factory managers changed and Theodore Hayek returned home to Belgium in about 1932. Hayek went on to pioneer many other Sugar Factories all over the world.

Tom and Esther remained at Belville for another four or five more years serving the Hayeks successors in much the same way as they had served the Hayeks, during which time saw the arrival of , Frances Bolger (on 6th December 1934) and finally a son Anthony Bolger on June 18th 1936..

## Belville (Strawhall) 1997

File:Tom bolger 12.jpg

**1997 - All that is left of the now demolished cottage at Belville is a meadow, with the (now demolished) Sugar Factory in the background**

## Video Footage - Belville , Strawhall

* July 1997 - Video of the location of Belville, Strawhall Birthplace of Eileen Bolger, Rose Bolger, Frances Bolger and Anthony Bolger

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