The owners of some of our best-known listed houses have formed a new representative group to ensure the survival of these important properties, writes Robert O'Byrne.
UNTIL RECENTLY Ireland's history of engagement with its architectural heritage has been somewhat inglorious, a sorry tale of significant buildings either destroyed or neglected. Thanks to improved government legislation and the creation of new bodies such as the Irish Heritage Trust (established two years ago), in the past decade the situation has improved considerably.
Nevertheless, more remains to be done to ensure the survival of this country's depleted stock of historic properties, especially those that continue to be in private hands. Hence the emergence of a new organisation, the Irish Historic Houses Association (IHHA), which has just come into being.
Now in the process of acquiring charitable status, the IHHA is the result of discussions over a number of years among several owners of such buildings throughout the State. Their circumstances varied enormously - some welcomed paying guests, some opened to the public, some preferred to earn an income from other sources - but all of them agreed they were insufficiently represented in any debate on the subject of Ireland's architectural heritage.
While full of praise for the likes of the Irish Heritage Trust and also the Landmark Trust - both of which have provided valuable help in setting up the IHHA - private house owners felt it was time to establish their own representative group. At 2007's annual Historic Houses Conference hosted by the National University of Ireland (NUI) in Maynooth, Susan Kellett - 12 generations of whose family have lived at Enniscoe House, Co Mayo - contributed to a panel discussion and spoke of the need for just such an organisation.
As she noted at this year's conference, those in possession of such properties "recognise that they form an important part of Ireland's built heritage, but we still wish to continue living in them as family homes. This may be regarded as a privilege but it also carries many responsibilities, and the propensity of these houses to devour large amounts of cash is virtually unlimited."
That propensity to consume seemingly infinite quantities of money is not applicable only to the Irish Big House; every historic building regardless of its proportions is likely to demand an owner in possession of an above-average income. And so membership of the IHHA is open to anyone who owns a listed country house of whatever size - provided it is still capable of being lived in as a family home.
And, as Susan Kellett, now chairwoman of the IHHA, notes, "We recognise that there will be different interpretations of 'private'." (Enniscoe has been taking in guests since the early 1980s.)
Quite how many such houses there are still in Ireland must be a matter of conjecture since no survey has ever been undertaken into the question (although the IHHA has ambitions to do so).
In late September 2007, the key figures behind the new organisation sent out invitations to an inaugural meeting at Castletown, Co Kildare.
This was attended by some 60 people representing 44 houses; a further 40 owners were unable to be present but indicated interest in the concept and a preparedness to join the group. Initial membership is therefore expected to be between 80 and 100 properties, with IHHA's secretary George Gossip of Ballinderry House, Co Galway, anticipating "possibly the same number again joining over the next few years".
Their reasons for joining will probably be as diverse as the character and size of the houses in which they live.
"I think, initially, it will be a process of finding out what's required," says IHHA committee member Johnny Madden, whose family has lived at Hilton Park, Co Monaghan since 1734. "We'll probably have to have some open forums for our members and get a consensus of what's needed."
NEVERTHELESS, IT'S already apparent that joining forces will automatically give the organisation's membership greater authority than has been available to individual private house owners. For the first time, for example, Ireland will be represented at the Union of European Historic Houses Association, the continent's principal body for historic house owners.
"I'm hopeful that the IHHA in the near future can gain stature and respect," comments another committee member, Hugo Merry of Kilshannig House, Co Cork, "in order to be able to help the owners of many of these houses with advice and support, by being able to add co-operative strength to lobby politically, and to assist in the challenges that owners of these houses face."
Everyone involved is keen to emphasise that the IHHA and its members will not be seeking special treatment from government, or looking for handouts from officialdom.
"We have to show a public benefit," Susan Kellett acknowledges. "We do have to put up something so that the general public can see we're making these houses more accessible. But there needs to be more innovative ways of allowing people to open their houses in return for some benefits or government assistance."
Quite what form these innovations take is only likely to become clear over time as the IHHA evolves and more private house owners join up but, in the interim, there is plenty to keep the initial membership occupied, not least the opportunity to share experience and expertise. This is, in effect, a self-help group.
"At the moment," explains Susan Kellett, "an awful lot of individual owners are painfully working through precisely the same processes on their own."
There is, for example, the perennial problem of heating an old house, especially as fuel costs have risen steeply. George Gossip notes that, "The more usual modern remedies such as double-glazing and improved methods of insulation are usually forbidden in protected structures where their installation would be likely to damage historic fabric, while the scale of our houses usually makes everything very difficult and expensive to install."
The IHHA intends to offer its members the best advice based on shared knowledge and information. This will be done as inexpensively and efficiently as possible.
"We don't intend to set up expensive administration of any kind," insists Susan Kellett. "No money's going into glossy brochures, or offices, or whatever."
From the start, the IHHA is adopting a pragmatic approach to its purpose.
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For further information on the IHHA, contact either Susan Kellett at 096-31112 or mail@enniscoe.com, or George Gossip at 099-686796 or george@ballinderrypark.com