A Georgian Farmhouse Revival in Co Kilkenny

A couple’s quest for a new beginning led to an unexpected return home to Ireland and the exciting restoration of a Kilkenny farmhouse, its derelict buildings, and farmyard.

In 2018, after more than 30 years living and working in Edinburgh, Keith Revels and Jonathan Young, who are originally from Tyrone and Meath respectively, had a firm plan to start a dream restoration project in Europe. Just a few months in, they instead found themselves in Ireland, considering the restoration of a Georgian Farmhouse in County Kilkenny.

Jonathan, a civil engineer, and Keith, a Finance and Communications specialist, had refurbished several period properties during their time in Edinburgh, carrying out much of the work themselves. Then in 2018, Keith was made redundant, and this prompted a complete rethink:

‘Rather than seeing this as a negative, we thought this was a great opportunity for a change of lifestyle,’ says Keith ‘We were in our mid-50s, and we still felt there was plenty of time for new adventures, and we had the energy and commitment. We decided to sell our house in Edinburgh. We put everything in storage, and we packed our tent and other travel essentials into our beloved VW Golf and set out to find a new home on the continent.’

Having lived in a beautiful but busy city for decades, the couple wanted somewhere rural, where they could lead a more fulfilling retirement in a less pressurised environment. They had talked about Ireland, but in the end, they thought continental Europe might suit them better. They were looking for a period property with plenty of room and perhaps an outbuilding or annex which would offer more of a blank canvas, a space where they could develop a more contemporary feel while still paying respect to the historic structure.

A couple of months into the journey across Europe, their car broke down, and they had to return to the UK. At the same time, Jonathan’s father, who was over a hundred, had moved permanently into a nursing home in County Meath, so they decided to use the enforced break in their plans as a productive detour to Ireland. The summer was an ideal time to spend more time with Jonathan’s father, and they could help prepare his house for eventual sale. The couple expected to pick up their European restoration quest in September.

It was while they were based in rural Meath that a Georgian farmhouse in Kilkenny suddenly came onto the market. The house was liveable in and structurally sound, but the main outbuilding, an old 20 metre-long cow byre, was in a state of near collapse alongside other outbuildings, which were also in need of considerable work.

Despite the potential challenges, Jonathan and Keith were smitten with The Pottery. They realised it ticked all the boxes they had carefully drawn up for their European project and so they decided to put an offer in.

‘It helped that we were cash buyers and the seller also wanted to move quickly. Much to the surprise of our solicitor, all the paperwork was completed within 4 weeks, and we were in.’ says Keith.

Before making any decisions, Jonathan and Keith decided to live with what they had for a year. They spent their evenings brainstorming, making sketches and compiling endless to-do lists. The COVID pandemic hit early in the project, stalling the main rebuild, and then Jonathan’s father died. Preparation work for architects and builders became a welcome distraction – the couple rescued heritage slates and stone from a shed that was beyond repair and ensured that some of the outbuildings were at least more watertight before the winter by repairing some of the stone walls.

“I never imagined that I would consider a cement and lime mortar mixer to be one of the most exciting joint Christmas presents we had ever bought each other,” Keith revealed.

Once restrictions eased, they worked closely with a nearby firm of architectural and structural consultants and appointed a local builder with expertise in heritage buildings. Planning permission was granted for the renovation and work commenced in earnest in 2021.

Keith and Jonathan were still keen to work on many aspects of the project themselves, including rewiring their cedar cabin for eventual sign-off and connection by an electrician, but they also welcomed the professional help they needed for the collapsing cow byre. This building, which had lost its roof, was set to become an art studio and office space – fulfilling their dream to create a building which was sympathetically restored with a contemporary twist. The byre required under-pinning, but it wasn’t long before it was structurally sound and the roof was reinstated with reclaimed slate. Inevitably, other problems emerged through the build. The bespoke windows took longer than promised, which meant the builders were off-site for about 6 months, and the electricians would not start until the building was fully weatherproof.

Despite the frustrations and delays, Keith and Jonathan got on with other work themselves, such as replacing the roof on the boiler house, repairing chimney breasts, installing a new kitchen and refurbishing the inside of another building that was going to be used as overflow accommodation for guests. With a neighbour’s help and a JCB, they dug new trenches throughout the property for upgraded water and electricity ducts, and shaped soil that was taken from the back of old byre into a beautiful contemporary garden landform.

In addition, the gables and rear of the house had been rendered with concrete, so Keith and Jonathan spent several weeks hacking it off to bare stone before re-rendering with much more suitable breathable lime mortar to give the renovation longevity. They uncovered beautiful quoin stones that they decided to keep exposed.

Keith adds,

 ‘Once the windows were eventually installed in the art studios, the internal works could begin, and progress was visible every day.’

The project was largely completed by 2023, but Keith and Jonathan spent another year adding finishing touches, including a large glass veranda at the back of the farmhouse, solar panels and an outside wood-fired sauna.

If this wasn’t enough work, during the restoration project, Keith and Jonathan also found time and energy to restore a wooden boat and refurbish a cottage in an ancient temperate rainforest in Co Waterford, that they had bought on a whim.

As they neared the end of the restoration, Keith contacted their insurer to say they were ready to extend the cover to all the buildings.
He says,

‘Rather naively, I wasn’t expecting them to decline, but it soon transpired that mainstream insurance companies just don’t touch old properties, particularly if they are built of stone. Being members of the Irish Georgian Society, we were aware of businesses that specialised in heritage properties, and that’s how we ended up talking to Mark Hewlett at Castleacre.’

Keith says that the relationship with Castleacre Insurance has been
‘…just so easy. I can simply pick up the phone and chat to a very knowledgeable and approachable professional who knows and understands our situation exactly. No need to explain the basics at the start of each phone call. That personal touch is worth its weight in gold. Insuring our 1960s wooden boat had been a problem for other insurers, but Mark was able to come up with a solution for that as well.’

What lessons have Keith and Jonathan learnt during the restoration process?

•  Employ local people, trades and professionals, where possible. They can be on site much more quickly than folk who are more remote. It’s also good to spend the cash in the community close to home.
• When (not if) things don’t go to plan, endeavour to have a calm and adult conversation with the builders. Keith and Jonathan got on very well with their main contractor. Yes, there was the occasional difficult discussion, but all were resolved amicably. Friendly chats are still held when they meet in the local supermarket.
•  Not only accept but embrace the fact that some things can go wrong or take longer than hoped. It may be frustrating, but things will work out in the end. Take any delays as permission maybe to tweak the design.
• If you feel comfortable, get your hands dirty too. Offer the builders a spare pair of hands and some muscle occasionally. You can then say “I helped build that wall!” Very rewarding.
• Think out of the box sometimes. Keith & Jonathan were having difficulty sourcing simple shed doors. They ended up asking the Borris men’s shed to help, and they did a superb job.

Keith and Jonathan admit that there was the odd disagreement, but overall, they worked very well together. Their experience from previous careers ensured they had complementary skills. Jonathan instinctively knew what was required to progress and was able to have technical conversations with the builders, though he says

“I never thought that my interest in Irish Georgian architecture would lead to undertaking so much lime mortar pointing, but it has been very satisfying.”

Keith was happy to be the hardworking gofer on site and came to the fore with his creative vision, and as Jonathan interjects,

‘keeping a very close, and sometimes obsessive eye, on the budget.’

Jonathan and Keith are proud to have breathed new life into a historic farm that could easily have been lost to the elements. Their unplanned return to Ireland has resulted in an incredibly rewarding and beautiful restoration. And their new neighbours and friends are delightful.

Jonathan concludes,

‘There are so many fantastic Georgian buildings in Ireland and not all of them grand country houses. We hope by telling our story we can encourage other people to take on these buildings and carry out sensitive restorations with the right materials and craftspeople. It is so important that we don’t lose our architectural heritage.  We are members of the Irish Georgian Society – we have found the organisation incredibly helpful in finding the right people to help with the project, and they run some great courses in Dublin on how to look after Georgian architecture and make them future-proof.’