If your dream has always been to acquire an historic house and fill it with priceless furnishings and fine period features, consider for a moment the gruelling routine of housekeeping and conserving it. Do you shudder at the thought of polishing hundreds of windows, vacuuming acres of carpet, washing fragile porcelain, cleaning and preserving paintings, waxing furniture or changing light bulbs in all those chandeliers? Well, help will soon be at hand in the form of a Housekeeping Seminar organised by the Irish Georgian Society at Castletown House in Celbridge, Co Kildare on March 31st. In co-operation with the Castletown Foundation, Duchas and the National Trust for Northern Ireland, the seminar will focus on collections of furniture and paintings open to the public and the work that goes into keeping them shipshape behind the scenes.

Since Castletown's transfer of ownership in 1994 from the Castletown Foundation to State care, Duchas has successfully carried out an extensive restoration programme on the house which is still ongoing.

The day long seminar will be introduced by Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin and President of the Irish Georgian Society. Lectures will cover all aspects of conserving and cleaning textiles, ceramics, glass, stone as well as paintings. Illustrations of completed and ongoing Irish conservation projects will also be shown. Places are limited and bookings are being taken now for the seminar with tickets, costing £75 (€95.25) to include lunch. £45 (WE57.15) to members of the Georgian Society, 01 6767053

efarrelly@irish-times.ie