‘There are probably more derelict buildings in Ireland than in any other country of Western Europe,’ opens a television report on the rescue of Damer House in Roscrea, County Tipperary (see: https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/1122/922043-damer-house-gets-new-life). That statement was made in 1977 and is probably just as applicable today, as can be seen by the condition of this house, in the townland or Irby on the outskirts of Roscrea.
The building looks to be early-to-mid 19th century and constructed as a residence for an affluent tenant farmer. It was designed like a miniature gentleman’s house, with a number of reception rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs, all inside sturdy walls. These still survive but the interior has been almost entirely lost and the roof is on the verge of going. Although capable of restoration and reuse, the place will likely only decline further: after all, Ireland has a reputation to maintain as the country with more derelict buildings than anywhere else in Europe…
Could this have something to do with the fact that in other countries the planners and regulators try to facilitate such restoration work but in Ireland it is quite the opposite .
If this property was in the UK then it would be snapped up and restored to it’s former glory, too easy to get planning permission here for new builds in the Country so no incentive to restore existing houses,
Couldn’t help but notice a ‘progression’ in the last few posts- from a nicely maintained residence to a house to let for events or cottage rentals to a house valiantly (but a losing battle?) being restored by an individual to this derelict. My concern with most of the derelicts is location, most are too far out of the way to be attractive except as a picturesque holiday/2nd residence or even as a holiday rental if its off the common tourist routes. Few want to take that on and its less prestigious to have one of these houses connected to an exploitive past than for prior generations. Plus the tendency to preserve only the exterior and gut/redo (the dreaded open floor plan) the interior so it could be any place in this ‘modern’ focused world. Why bother?
Perhaps not an “oxymoron…”