Church Conversion
Gary and Emma purchased a church for conversion in Highland Scotland and have started the ripping out stage! The church from initial inspection looked fine but under the surface, the dry rot met the wet rot and the woodworm like both! The potential is huge and could yield 720 square meters of space over three floors with 560 square meters above 3 meter ceiling height. The plan is to keep the front and sides pretty much the same but with new windows and doors. The area where the church is gets very, very cold in deep winter with -18C quite common so good insulation and heating will be vital. Click here to follow their progress.

Castle Restoration
The owners of Tullaun Castle spent 4 years searching for ancient ruins with a view to finding the ideal tower house to restore. That search eventually led them to this castle and they are now starting out on the long journey of restoring it. Tullaun Castle is an O'Kennedy tower house in North Tipperary. It's in a very scenic location and is surrounded by fields, woods and forestry. Picturesque Lough Derg is about 2 km away as the crow flies. From the top floors the views are magnificent. The ruins of Annagh and Cashlaunteigebocht (Poor Teige's) Castles (both former O'Kennedy strongholds) can be seen from here. Click here for details and pictures.

Church Conversion
Formerly a Church of Ireland Chapel, this famous local landmark was originally built in 1808 and exactly 200 years later the current owners moved in. The church was deconsecrated in 1920 and had been used as an Irish Army billet, dancehall and workshop. There are some interesting architectural features such as cut stone window and door frames. It was bought by the current owners in 2005, planning permission was obtained in 2006 and the former church has now been converted into a three bedroom home. Although it is a listed building the owner's were able to add a small extension to one of the vestries. Click here for details and pictures.

Magherintemple Gate Lodge
A property in Co. Antrim at which The Irish Landmark Trust are continuing with conservation work is Magherintemple Gate Lodge at Ballycastle. Conservation of this lovely gate lodge began late in 2010 and it is expected that the works will be completed in June 2011, leaving it available for short breaks from July onwards. Magherintemple is interesting not only because of its architectural history but also because of its historical importance as the seat of the Casement family. In fact, a descendant of the family still lives there to this day. The gate lodge provides a fitting entrance to the Ballycastle Estate. Click here for details and pictures.

Schoolhouse Restoration
This schoolhouse was built in 1850 and was one of the only buildings in the local area of Ganty in Co. Galway. It is being restored by Philip McNamara. His father had bought the schoolhouse in the 1960s for approximately 300 Irish pounds and Philip is the new owner and is taking on the restoration work. He has decided to use traditional building methods, with stone masons as well as traditional slate. The new section, however, will be created using modern materials which will include triple glazing, insulation and underfloor heating. You can follow the progress of the schoolhouse restoration on Philip's blog by clicking here.

Stained Glass Church Windows
As part of the restoration of Swords Castle GlassHaus Studio in Navan in Co. Meath designed, manufactured and installed five new stained glass windows in the early 14c. style for a church at the front of the castle grounds. The project included four large aisle windows based on the Four Evangelists and a fifth window situated behind the altar which is based on the Jesse Window of Chartres Cathedral. As part of their research they visited Liverpool museum to see the large collection of early 14c. medieval stained glass and Chartres Cathedral in France. Follow the process from initial drawings to installation by clicking here.

Anaverna Fanlight, Georgian House
GlassHaus Studio in Navan in Co. Meath were commissioned to remove an existing fanlight from the front entrance of a Georgian House in Co. Louth and manufacture and install a new fanlight to the exact specification of the original. A specific lead profile was made in England and the fanlight was constructed using an original technique that was used to make authentic Georgian fanlights. GlassHaus have compiled a series of photographs that show the detailed work involved in restoring this fanlight. The pictures show the different stages of the job including before and after pictures and the actual manufacturing process. Click here for more.

Venetian Stone Finishes by Liam O'Farrell from Maiden Stone
Liam O'Farrell left Chicago in 2007 to return to his native Ireland and since then he has been restoring his new home. Through his business, Maiden Stone, this master craftsman is bringing Venetian stone finishes to the Irish market in the form of fireplaces, ceilings, bathrooms, flooring, over mantels... the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. He has spent his life perfecting the skills of the old Italian plastering techniques and worked on various restoration projects in Venice as part of his training. To see what Liam is creating in his own home including arched ceilings, detailed plasterwork and an outdoor fireplace please click here.