Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, TD, has announced the appointment of the main contractor who will undertake the planned restoration project to conserve and preserve the historic Kilmacurragh House in County Wicklow.
The OPW has appointed Kelbuild Ltd, a company with specialist expertise in heritage projects, as the main contractor for the works. Kelbuild will undertake the works with an extensive team of skilled heritage craft workers.
The House is located at the heart of the National Botanic Gardens in Wicklow. As one of the last Queen Anne-style houses in Ireland, Kilmacurragh House has considerable architectural importance and it is also one of the earliest unfortified houses in County Wicklow.
Much of the original roof structure was destroyed by fires in the 1980s. The House was acquired by the OPW in 1996, along with the gardens which feature a rare collection of plants from around the world
Reinstating this significant house, at the heart of the designed gardens, is part of OPW’s commitment to conserving the built heritage of Ireland for the enjoyment of generations to come.
The project will address structural issues and protect the building from the elements by restoring the exterior of the house. This will include reinstatement of roofs, other roof repairs, reinstatement of internal floor structures and restoration of external walls, including windows and doors.
Conservation specialists in the OPW have undertaken detailed analysis of the existing building to retain, to the greatest extent possible, the historic building fabric of this important protected structure.
Accompanied by OPW Chairman, John Conlon and Minister of Finance, Simon Harris TD, Minister “Boxer” Moran said: ‘I am delighted that much needed works to restore Kilmacurragh House have now commenced. The works, when completed, will significantly enhance the visitor experience at Kilmacurragh with the unique and historic house at the centre of these magnificent gardens.’
A second phase of restoration will begin in the future, once the current structure has been stabilised, protected from the elements and begins to dry out naturally.
The Gardens at Kilmacurragh, along with the National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, comprise the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland. Kilmacurragh Gardens had 180,000 visitors last year. This is just the latest development in the OPW’s plans to invest in and develop the National Botanic Gardens at Kilmacurragh.
In 2019, the OPW acquired an additional 55 acres of lands from Coillte, which included the walled garden and the historic eighteenth-century deer park. This has re-united the house and gardens with important elements of the historic demesne. The purchase of the deer park was particularly noteworthy as its surrounding walls are virtually intact and are a significant part of the original landscape that surrounded the house.
