The Irish Georgian Society and its Birr Chapter wishes to thank all those who made the Offaly’s Heritage Buildings Show on Oxmantown Mall, Birr on Saturday 15^th and Sunday 16^th June 2024 such a friendly, fun and informative conservation occasion.

We wish to thank Offaly County Council’s Architectural Conservation Officer and Senior Executive Architect, Rachel McKenna and Heritage Officer, Amanda Pedlow for agreeing to partner on the event.

The exhibition was formally launched at 1pm on Saturday by Hugh Wallace, presenter of Great Irish House Revival with Rachel McKenna opening the event with a welcome addressed followed by Donough Cahill, IGS Executive Director.

Together they praised the highly skilled traditional building skills craftspeople who agreed to give over their weekend to demonstrate at the Offaly’s Heritage Buildings Show and promote the importance of using appropriate traditional methods and materials in the conservation of our built heritage.

Over two dozen craftspeople actively demonstrate key traditional building skills needed for the conservation of old buildings including: sash window repairs, stained glass & fanlight conservation, stone carving, dry stonewall construction, use of lime-based mortars and hemp, brick pointing, brick making, decorative plasterwork, sign writing, ironwork, slate roofing, gilding, wallpaper making, thatching, pole lathe turning and decorative paint effects. The Society wishes to thank the below craftspeople, traditional building skills companies and conservation organisations who demonstrated and took stands at the exhibition. Many of whom travelled substantial distances.

Thank you to our Exhibitors:

• Damien Condon of Calx Renders https://calxrestoration.com/
• Decowell Restoration & Decoration https://www.decowell.co.uk
• David Skinner Wallpapers http://www.skinnerwallpaper.com
• Design ‘n’ Décor sign writer Gerry McGarrigle gerrydecor736@gmail.com
• Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland https://www.dswai.ie
• Ecological Building Systems https://www.ecologicalbuildingsystems.com
• Eoin Donnelly, Pole Lathe Turner thebodgershovel@gmail.com
• Eoin Madigan of Madigan Traditional Masonry eoin.madigan@hotmail.com
• threecatforge@gmail.com
• George O'Malley Decorative Plastering https://www.omalleyplastering.com
• Gerry McGarrigle, Sign Writer gerrydecor736@gmail.com
• Glasshaus Studio https://www.glasshaus.ie
• King’s Foundation’s All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme, Hugh Kavanagh https://www.kings-foundation.org/education/all-ireland-programme
• Nathaniel Clements Decorative Painter https://www.instagram.com/clementsandmoore
• National Built Heritage Services & the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage https://www.buildingsofireland.ie
• Nolans Group Conservation & Restoration https://nolansgroup.ie
• Patrick McIntyre & Sons Ltd Roofers & General Contractors mcintyrepadraig@hotmail.com
• Philip Doran Thatching www.philipdoranthatcher.ie
• Register of Heritage Contractors, Gillian Ross www.heritageregistration.ie
• Sash Window Solutions https://sashwindowsolutions.ie
• Smith & Henderson Stuccodores https://www.smithandhendersonstuccodoresltd.com
• Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings Ireland https://www.spab.org.uk/about-...
• Stonemad Philip Quinn https://www.igs.ie/conservation/register/entry/stonemad
• The Traditional Lime Company https://www.traditionallime.ie
• The Old Builders Company https://www.oldbuilders.com
  
  

The Society was particularly pleased that after over two decades of our annual traditional building skills exhibitions, that we finally had an opportunity to bring the exhibition to Birr, rightly lauded as Ireland’s finest Georgian town, and home of the thriving Birr Chapter of the IGS, which has championed the town’s built heritage for over three decades with its Patron, the Earl of Rosse at the helm.

We wish to thank the Birr IGS Chapter Chair, Joe Breen, and fellow Birr Chapter committee members Victoria Browne, Lady Alicia Clements, Elizabeth Fogarty, John Joyce, Bill Schleicher and Jim Lucey for all their support in the seamless delivery on the exhibition; and in particular we wish to thank John Joyce who led a wonderful walking tour of Birr’s built heritage to over 50 attendees; and Lady Alicia Clements and Alison Countess of Rosse for leading a tour of Birr Castle for all the traditional building skills demonstrators on the Saturday evening.

In tandem with the traditional building skills demonstrations were two days of hourly free interactive talks that celebrated Offaly’s rich built heritage from the polite formal architecture to its traditionally built vernacular buildings.

The Society wishes to thank the speakers who generously shared their expertise knowledge on the following subjects:

• Tom Pollard, conservation stonemason (Vernacular Buildings: re-use maintenance & repair: understanding the Vacant & Derelict Property Refurbishment Grant)
• Rachel McKenna, Senior Executive Architect, Architectural Conservation Officer, Offaly County Council, Grade I RIAI Conservation Accredited, and author of Traditional Architecture in Offaly– history, materials and furniture 1800 to present day (Traditional Vernacular Architecture of Offaly: understanding & conserving)
• Susan Roundtree, co-author of the Department’s Advice Series: A Guide to the Repair of Historic Brickwork, and author of Brickmaking in Ireland (The Importance of Brick in our Buildings and the Significance of County Offaly’s brickmaking legacy)
• Hugh Wallace, architect and presenter of TV series Great Irish House Revival and Home of the Year (Does Every Lath and Plaster Ceiling Deserve to be Preserved?)
• Damian Murphy, Architectural Heritage Officer, NIAH, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Buildings of Offaly)
• Dr Andrew Tierney, ERC Post-doctoral Research Fellow, STONE-WORK, Department of the History of Art and Architecture, Trinity College Dublin & author of Buildings of Ireland: Central Leinster (Historical stonework in Offaly and surrounding counties)
• Laura Bowen, Principal Laura Bowen, Grade I RIAI Conservation Accredited & co-author of the Department’s Advice Series: A Guide to the Repair of Historic Roofs (Historic Roofs: their care & repair)
• David Skinner, wallpaper maker, conservator and researcher and author of Wallpaper in Ireland, 1700-1900 (Flocks and Rainbows: some historic wallpapers in County Offaly and how they were made)
• Dr Fidelma Mullane, cultural geographer specialising in the study and conservation of vernacular architecture, President of ICOMOS Ireland and convenor of the National Scientific Committee on Vernacular Heritage of ICOMOS (Irish Thatched Houses: understanding Offaly’s regional styles & materials in context)
• Carl Raftery, Architectural Conservation Advisor, National Built Heritage Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and co-editor of Department’s Improving Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings (Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings: planning implications and grants)
• Frank Keohane, Chartered Historic Building Surveyor, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Building Conservation Accredited & author of Irish Period Houses: a conservation manual (The Importance of Preventative Maintenance & Dealing with Damp in your Traditionally Built House)
• Dr Nessa Roche, Senior Architectural Advisor, National Built Heritage Service, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, author of The Legacy of Light: a History of Irish Windows and the Department’s Conservation Advice Series: A Guide to the Repair of Historic Windows. (Historic Windows: their significance, history & conservation)
• Tom McGimsey, Principal MESH Architects, Grade I RIAI Conservation Accredited and committee member of the Building Limes Forum Ireland. (The Importance of Using Lime in Historic Buildings)

These talks were held in the Birr Theatre & Arts Centre (a most fitting historic building designed by Cassandra Countess of Rosse in 1888) and our sincere thanks to the Birr Theatre’s Manager, Emma Nee Haslam and Marketing Officer, Gildas le Pallec for all their work in hosting us; as well as the CIF’s Register of Heritage Contractors, Engineers Ireland, Irish Planning Institute and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland for recognising the talks as formal CPD for their members.

On Saturday 15^th, for younger attendees to the Offaly’s Heritage Buildings Show, there were Cruinniú na nÓg children’s workshops. This aspect of the show was made possible thanks to funding from Creative Ireland, and we wish to thank Offaly County Council's Creative Communities Engagement Officer Karen Gray for organising funding for these workshops, as well as the Jackie McIntyre and Sinead Hogan in Offaly County Council libraries for all their work in facilitating the workshops. The workshops took place the Ionic temple John’s Hall, which happens to be the symbol of our IGS Birr Chapter and was designed by Bernard Mullins in circa 1828. Thanks too to the kind and enthusiastic Lauren Byrne of Irish Heritage Schools for overseeing all the workshops.

The Society greatly appreciate the time invested in preparing and delivering the workshops on stone carving by Philip Quinn of Stone Mad; wallpaper making by David Skinner of David Skinner Wallpaper; fanlight making by Liam McCorkell of Glasshaus Studios; gilding and stencilling by Ruth Bothwell of Decowell; traditional brick making by Shane and Aaron of Nolan Conservation & Restoration; and lime rendering by Edward Byrne of The Traditional Lime Company.

It was fantastic to see the high level of engagement and participation at these ancillary Offaly’s Heritage Buildings Show events, as well as the enthusiasm and appreciation of the public who visited the exhibition over the course of the weekend to receive free, accurate and impartial advice on traditional methods and materials needed to best conserve their Offaly heritage buildings.

The Offaly's Heritage Buildings Show represented a coming together of the conservation community: state; semi-state; non-governmental organizations; and independent conservation practitioners and professionals. Without all these stakeholders' generosity and support it would not be possible to deliver the exhibition and allied activities.

Critically, the last word of thanks goes to the Offaly's Heritage Buildings Show funders: The Heritage Council who provided funding through the Heritage Stewardship Grant Scheme; the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who provided funding for the Irish Georgian Society's Conservation Education Programme of which the Offaly's Heritage Buildings Show was an action; Offaly County Council; and Creative Ireland.

Copyright of above photographs Evin O'Toole (@malfi_productions). Photographs below taken by IGS.

Tom O'Hanlon (tomohanlonphotography.com)

Read more

In an exciting collaboration and through essential support from its American members, the Irish Georgian Society is working with the Sirius Arts Centre in restoring the former clubhouse of the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cobh with the goal of reinstating significant lost architectural elements and revitalising and enhancing its role as a vibrant centre of cultural activity. Click here to learn more.

Read more

Offaly’s Built Heritage Show: traditional building skills demonstrations, conservation talks & children's craft workshops takes place in Ireland's finest Georgian town, Birr, County Offaly on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June.

The event is presented by the Irish Georgian Society and its Birr Chapter in partnership with Offaly County Council, and with funding from The Heritage Council's Heritage Stewardship Grants Scheme, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Creative Ireland.

For one weekend the Georgian town of Birr will become a one-stop destination for owners in need of accurate, impartial, and free advice on caring and repairing for their old building. The exhibition is of particular relevance to those living in Protected Structure or buildings within Architectural Conservation Areas, however attendance will also benefit owners of all traditionally built buildings, including vernacular structures.

Demonstrations will be delivered by the conservation experts with the opportunity to see over two dozen craftspeople actively demonstrate key traditional building skills needed for the conservation of old buildings including: sash window repairs, stained glass & fanlight conservation, stone carving, dry stonewall construction, use of lime-based mortars and hemp; brick pointing, decorative plasterwork; ironwork, slate roofing, thatching, gilding, sign writing and wallpaper making, to name a few.

In tandem with the demonstrations there will be free hourly conservation talks delivered by the acknowledged authorities in the Birr Theatre & Arts Centre. For the full programme of talks click here.

All demonstrations and talks are free of charge & no advanced booking required.

Additionally on Saturday 15th June as part of Cruinniú na nÓg children’s festival of youth, there will be a series of six children's craft workshops. The children's craft workshops are free of charge but advanced booking through eventbrite is recommended.

Read more

The John Maiben Gilmartin Award, named for and endowed by the noted art historian, is a new prize granted annually by the Irish Georgian Society to support research in the history of Irish art, architecture and designed landscape, and of culture and society in Ireland of the long eighteenth century (broadly defined).

This award is open to post-doctoral researchers and early career scholars – that is, individuals who have been awarded their PhD degree within the previous seven years. Funds may be used to cover travel and accommodation costs for the purposes of research abroad or may be used to offset fees associated with academic publication, including for image rights and reproduction.

Students currently registered to post-graduate programmes are not eligible and are instead encouraged to apply for the Desmond Guinness Scholarship. https://www.igs.ie/education/scholarship

The assessor panel comprises: Dr Fintan Cullen, Professor Emeritus, School of Culture, Languages and Area Studies, University of Nottingham; Dr Conor Lucy, Associate Professor, School of Art History and Cultural Policy, University College Dublin; and Dr Finola O’Kane, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy, University College Dublin.

Award winners will be required to deliver a talk on the subject of their research to the Irish Georgian Society within 18 months of receipt of the award; and are encouraged to submit an article for consideration to Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies, the peer-reviewed journal of the IGS, or similar accredited publication, within 36 months. It is expected that the role of the award in supporting the research will be formally acknowledged by the recipient in due course.

The Scholarship does not have to be awarded in any one year, and the decision of the assessors, appointed by the Irish Georgian Society, is final. The total value of the award fund available for distribution is in the region of €5,000.

The closing date for applications is noon, Thursday 2nd May 2024. Applicants will be advised of the outcome of the competition by Thursday 30th May 2024. The winner of the award will normally be announced at the IGS Summer Party in June.

Please note the following terms:

• No additional information or any other accompanying material will be accepted.
• All questions on the application form must be answered. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Late applications will not be accepted.
• Two confidential reference letters supporting the application (with subject heading ‘John Maiben Gilmartin Award Reference Letter’) should be sent via email to emmeline.henderson@igs.ie. Each reference must be sent directly from the reference provider’s own email address (not the applicant’s) and arrive by the closing date of the competition.
• Canvasing of assessor panel will result in disqualification.

If you have any further queries about the award please contact:

Emmeline Henderson (emmeline.henderson@igs.ie) or by phoning 01 679 8675.

Read more

Caption: Desmond Guinness Scholarship adjudicator, Dr Conor Lucey presenting the Desmond Guinness Scholarship 2023 to Victoria McCarthy at the Irish Georgian Society’s Christmas party in Ely House.

Victoria McCarthy is a third year PhD candidate at the School of Architecture, UCD, under the supervision of Professor Finola O’Kane. Victoria’s doctoral research straddles the disciplines of designed landscape history and planning and uses the county of Kerry as a case study to explore the question of how the significance of Ireland’s designed landscapes are assessed, valued and managed.

Victoria applied for the Desmond Guinness Scholarship to undertake archival research in the Public Records Office Northern Ireland (PRONI). Whilst at PRONI, Victoria intends to consult the FitzGerald papers relating to the designed landscapes of Glanleam on Valentia Island, former home of the Fitzgerald’s, Knights of Kerry, as well as other Kerry-related papers (Crosbie, Kenmare, and Ward).

The Society welcomes the decision of the Desmond Guiness Scholarship adjudicators and acknowledges the relevance of this year’s candidate’s research to the Society’s work in promoting and protecting Ireland’s architecture and designed landscapes.

Lastly, the Society wishes to thank the Desmond Guinness Scholarship adjudicators (Christine Casey, Kathleen James Chakraborty, Alison FitzGerald, David Fleming, Conor Lucey, Anna Moran and Primrose Wilson) for lending their expertise, which ensures that the scholarship continues to be held in high academic regard.

Read more

Caption: Celebrating Desmond Guinness convenor, Robert O'Byrne with speaker Jerry Hall.

Celebrating Desmond Guinness, Dublin Castle, Wednesday 1st November 2023.
Family, friends, and supporters gathered in Dublin Castle to celebrate and commemorate Desmond Guinness’s legacy in promoting and protecting Ireland’s architecture and allied arts.Celebrating Desmond Guinness was delivered by the Irish Georgian Society, in partnership with the Guinness family and the Office of Public Works, and with the support of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, The Heritage Council and Ecclesiastical Insurance.

Inspiring papers were delivered on themes that explored Desmond’s work in advocating for the protection of the Irish country house; campaigning to save Georgian Dublin; fostering research and publications on Ireland’s architecture and decorative arts; and his work overseas as an unofficial ambassador for Ireland’s cultural heritage, where he raised vital funds and forged relationships with benefactors in the UK and USA, which continue to this day through the Irish Georgian Society, which he co-founded with his first wife, Mariga Guinness.

The Society wishes to thank all the speakers and chairs for sharing their memories of and tributes to Desmond, as well as their knowledge and expertise of the Irish Georgian architecture and allied arts, which Desmond fought to save. The day was a fitting homage to Desmond’s herculean endeavours and achievements and captured and reflected the wit and dynamism, magnetism and aplomb with which he accomplished them.

Sir David Davies, President, Irish Georgian Society opening the Celebrating Desmond Guinness.

Rosemary Collier, Head of Heritage & Capital Works Delivery, Asst. Secretary General, OPW welcoming delegates to Dublin Castle.

Dr Edward McParland, (Chair), MRIA, Fellow emeritus of Trinity College Dublin chairing the morning session.

Sir Humphry Wakefield Bt., Friend of Hon Desmond Guinness delivering his paper, Fleeting Glimpses of a Shining Dragonfly: A Life of Constructive Achievement from Childhood, Oxford, Ireland and America.

Dr Erika Hanna, Assoc. Professor, Modern History, University of Bristol delivering her paper, Desmond Guinness, the Irish Georgian Society and the Preservation of Georgian Dublin, 1957-1972.

Dr Conor Lucey (Chair of the afternoon session), Assoc. Professor, School of Art History and Cultural Policy, UCD, member of the board of the Castletown Foundation and the Irish Georgian Society delivering the paper Bulletin, Journal and Prize: a Legacy in Scholarship by Dr Christine Casey, Professor, Architectural History, Trinity College Dublin and Castletown foundation board member.

Mary Heffernan, Director of National Monuments, OPW chairing the second morning session.

Máirtín D’Alton, Architect, Heritage Services - Conservation, OPW delivering his presentation entitled The Legacy of Desmond Guinness: Recent Works Uncover the Building History of Damer House which included a slide showing him at a reception where he was awarded the Desmond Guinness Scholarship by the Hon. Desmond Guinness.

Christopher Moore, former Irish Georgian Society and Castletown Foundation board member and Chair of the latter, 2013 -2018 delivering his paper, Castletown & Doneraile: from the brink, which included previously unseen images from the Guinness family's private photographic albums.

Desmond's friend, the cultural icon, Jerry Hall treating us to extracts from his Leixlip diaries.

Dr John Goodall, Architectural Editor of Country Life Magazine delivering his paper, Country Life and the Irish Country House.

Jeremy G.D. Musson, LLB (Hons), MPhil, FSA deliver his paper entitled, ‘Through Desmond’s Eyes:’ Architectural History and Heritage Advocacy for a World Audience, which contained many personal reminiscences about his times spent with Desmond at Leixlip Castle and other Irish historic houses.

Donough Cahill, Executive Director, Irish Georgian Society chairing the afternoon session where he took the opportunity to thank all members of the Irish Georgian Society for their continuing support of the society which Desmond founded in 1958, while encouraging those not yet members to join today!

Dr Ciarán Reilly, Asst. Director, Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses & Estates, Maynooth University delivering his paper, ‘The Demesne Walls are Coming Down’ Figuratively Speaking: Opening Up the Country House, 1958-1978'.

Marion Cashman, former IGS board member and editor of The Irish Georgian Society: A Celebration (2008), sharing her paper, Memories of Desmond Guinness: 50 Years Campaigning for the Conservation of Ireland’s Architectural Heritage, which provided a wonderful account that spanned her first encounters with Desmond and the Society volunteering at Castletown in the 1970s through to her and her husband Adrian Masterson's work in commissioning the film, 'Saving Our Heritage, The Irish Georgian Society' which included in depth interviews with Desmond.

Robert O’Byrne, former IGS Vice-President and author of The Irish Georgian Society: A Celebration (2008) sharing his paper, Desmond Guinness in America.

Patrick Guinness, son of Desmond Guinness, former President of the Irish Georgian Society making the concluding remarks and thanking all gathered for their participation.

Robert O'Byrne, convenor of Celebrating Desmond Guinness addressing the audience of family, friends and supporters gathered in Dublin Castle

Read more