Children Bringing Home the Turf – A Glimpse into Rural Life in Early 1900s Glenariff

A powerful historic image from Glenariff, Co. Antrim, shows two children with a donkey pulling a slide car loaded with turf in the early 1900s. We’ve brought the scene to life using AI video technology, preserving a moment of rural Northern Irish history for future generations.

In this evocative black-and-white photograph, we’re taken back to the early 1900s in Glenariff, one of the most scenic of the Nine Glens of Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The image captures a poignant and practical moment in the lives of two children, who are seen transporting turf—a traditional fuel source—home using a donkey slide car.

The slide car (a sled-like vehicle) was ideal for the rough, often boggy terrain common in rural Ireland, where wheeled carts would struggle. The children are hard at work, surrounded by the serene landscape typical of Glenariff’s tree-lined lanes and stone walls. Turf cutting was an essential part of rural life, and scenes like this were once a common sight in the Antrim countryside.

This photograph is courtesy of the National Museums of Northern Ireland, who have helped preserve not just the image, but the memory of a way of life that has faded into history.

Bringing the Past to Life with AI

To help modern audiences connect more deeply with this moment in time, we’ve used AI video generation tools to animate the photograph, offering a subtle, respectful visual interpretation of the scene. This short video brings new life to a still image, allowing viewers to better appreciate the atmosphere, setting, and spirit of early 20th-century rural Northern Ireland.

This project is part of a wider effort to use technology to honour and preserve Irish heritage, making history accessible and engaging for new generations.