I am preparing for my busiest week of the year: Heritage Week! All of the section 482 houses are open for a visit (except those listed as Tourist Accommodation). See my home page for opening times: https://irishhistorichouses.com

This year we were lucky enough to secure a place on a tour of Temple House in County Sligo, which is normally not open as it is on the section 482 list as accommodation, but this year they are giving tours on Sunday 17th – you have to book in advance but maybe there are still places left.

I can’t wait to identify the people in the portraits! I do hope we have time to do so, as it’s only a 45 minute tour.

We are staying in what looks like a historic farm house, Andresna House, on the border of Roscommon and Sligo. I look forward to finding out more about its history. https://www.andresnahouse.com

We’ll also be visiting Castlecoote in County Roscommon. It was always booked for accommodation in previous years when I asked to visit so I am happy to have this opportunity.

We may get to Frybrook house in Boyle as well.

We’re mainly based in Dublin and Wexford this year since we can’t afford to stay away from home – and I need to water my veggies in Wexford at some point during this heatwave!

We’re off to Birr again, where we spent time last year during Heritage week to see Crotty Church. This time we have booked a tour of the Castle. While in the area, we will also visit Bellefield house and gardens.

I’m excited that we also managed to book a place on the tour of Howth Castle. I was in it once before, for the book sale when it was sold after over 800 years of ownership. We only saw the impressive front hall and library so I can’t wait to see some more, although unfortunately it will probably be empty since contents were also sold.

I have also booked a tour of Rokeby in County Louth, which we visited years ago but I’d love to see again, to have our dose of Francis Johnston, also visiting Townley Hall.

Let us know if you have Heritage Week plans – you can share in the Comments section.

In previous years, we have been very busy during Heritage Week, and we visited houses before I embarked upon this project. In 2019 I read an article in the Irish Times about the Section 482 scheme and I decided to visit them and to blog about it.

There are generally about 180 properties on the Revenue Section 482 list every year and the properties stay on the list for at least five years in order to obtain state aid by subtracting a percentage of maintenance costs from income tax.

See the entry that I wrote at the end of 2022 summarising our travels thus far, https://irishhistorichouses.com/2022/12/09/a-summary-of-2022-and-previous-years/

Heritage Week visits in previous years:

Old Glebe in Newcastle Lyons, County Dublin, during Heritage Week 2012:

Primrose Hill, County Dublin, 17th August 2013:

Huntington Castle, County Carlow, in August 2016:

In 2019 we visited Swainstown House in County Meath, Marlay Park house in Rathfarnham (we’ll be visiting again next month when it is open during Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Heritage), Beaulieu in County Louth, and Harristown House and Blackhall Castle in County Kildare. Not all are on the Section 482 property list.

Swainstown House, County Meath, 19th August 2019

Harristown, County Kildare, 22nd August 2019

Blackhall Castle, County Kildare, 22nd August 2019

In 2020 during Heritage Week we went to Counties Cork and Waterford:

Kilshannig House, Rathcormac, Co. Cork – 14th Aug 2020
Cappoquin House & Gardens, Co. Waterford – 15 Aug 2020
Dromana House, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford – 5th May 2019 and 15th Aug 2020
Drishane House, Castletownshend, Co. Cork – 20th Aug 2020

Kilshannig, County Cork, 14th August 2020

Dromana House, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford – 15th Aug 2020

Cappoquin, County Waterford, 15th August 2020

Drishane House, County Cork, 20th August 2020

Baltimore Castle, County Cork, 20th August 2020

In 2021 we headed to County Sligo and Mayo for Heritage Week then over to Counties Westmeath, Kilkenny and Carlow.

Markree Castle, Collooney, Co. Sligo – 16th Aug 2021
Newpark House and Demesne, Co. Sligo – 16th Aug 2021
Enniscoe House & Gardens, Ballina, Co. Mayo (accommodation) – 17th Aug 2021
Coopershill House, Riverstown, Co. Sligo (accommodation) – 18th Aug 2021
Tullynally Castle & Gardens, Co. Westmeath – 4th Aug 2019 and 21st Aug 2021
Kilfane Glen & Waterfall, Co. Kilkenny (garden) – 23rd Aug 2021
The Old Rectory Killedmond, Borris, Co. Carlow – 1st July 2020 and 23rd Aug 2021

Markree Castle, County Sligo, 16th August 2021

Newpark, County Sligo, 16th August 2021

Enniscoe, County Mayo, 17th August 2021

Coopershill, County Sligo, 18th August 2021

The Old Rectory Killedmond, Borris, Co. Carlow – 1st July 2020 and 23rd Aug 2021, where we stayed in a shepherd’s hut.

Kilfane, County Kilkenny, 23rd August 2021

In 2022 during Heritage Week we travelled to Counties Limerick, Galway and on up to Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim and home via County Monaghan! We treated ourselves to a stay in Ash Hill in County Limerick.

Ash Hill, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick (accommodation) – 12-15 Aug 2022
Beechwood House, Co. Tipperary – 13 Aug 2022
The Turret, Rylanes, Ballingarry, Co. Limerick – 13th Aug 2022
Glenville House, Glenville, Ardagh, Co. Limerick – 14th Aug 2022
Mount Trenchard House and Garden, Co. Limerick – 14th Aug 2022
Claregalway Castle, Claregalway, Co. Galway (accommodation) – 15th Aug 2022
Oranmore Castle, Oranmore, Co. Galway – 15th Aug 2022
Strokestown Park House, Co. Roscommon – 16 and 17th Aug 2022
King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon – 18th Aug 2022
Lissadell House & Gardens, Co. Sligo – 19th Aug 2022
Manorhamilton Castle (Ruin), Co. Leitrim – 20th Aug 2022
Hilton Park House, Co. Monaghan (accommodation) – 21st Aug 2022

Beechwood, County Tipperary, 13th August 2022

Glenview, County Limerick, 14th August 2022

Mount Trenchard, County Limerick, 14th August 2022

Oranmore Castle, County Galway, 15th August 2022

Claregalway Castle, County Galway, 15th August 2022

King House, County Roscommon, 18th August 2022

Strokestown Park, County Roscommon, August 2022

Lissadell, County Sligo, 19th August 2022

Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, 20th August 2022

Hilton Park, County Monaghan, 21st August 2022

In 2023 during Heritage Week we visited Counties Waterford, Tipperary, and Cork:

Cappagh House (Old and New), Dungarvan, Co. Waterford – 14th Aug 2023

Ballynatray Estate, Co. Waterford (garden) – 19th Aug 2023

Kilcascan Castle, County Cork – 15th Aug 2023

Bantry House, County Cork – 15 and 16th Aug 2023

Dún Na Séad Castle, Baltimore, Co. Cork – 16th Aug 2023

Drishane Castle & Gardens, Co. Cork – 17th Aug 2023

Burton Park, Churchtown, Mallow, Co. Cork – 17th Aug 2023

Clashleigh House, Clogheen, Co. Tipperary – 19th Aug 2023

Grenane House, Tipperary, Co. Tipperary – 19th Aug 2023

That year we made a circle from around Clogheen County Tipperary, driving through it to our first airbnb in County Waterford and ending up nearby at our last airbnb in Ardfinnan in County Tipperary. We visited ten Section 482 properties!

Our last day in Heritage Week 2023, we visited Clashleigh House in Clogheen, County Tipperary. A beautiful house, it was used for some years as a rectory. We visited in the morning, so had time to drive down to Lismore in the afternoon to see the idyllic Lismore Castle gardens.

In 2024 during Heritage Week we went to the wonderful Charleville Woods Castle in County Offaly (which is not Section 482). 

On the Monday we went to see Tullynisk house. We were given a wonderful tour by its resident Alicia Clements, daughter of the Earl of Rosse, who married a descendant of Nathaniel Clements who built the Áras an Uachtaráin in the Phoenix Park.

Emo Park finally opened its doors albeit for just a few days during the week last year. 

We found ourselves with spare time after Emo Park as it was too rainy to wander the lush grounds, so we headed to Roscrea for more OPW properties: Damer House and Roscrea Castle. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photographs inside Damer House except in the exhibition rooms. After a tour of Damer House we went across the bawn to tour Roscrea Castle. It is a treasure for the beautiful ancient town of Roscrea.

We went to Birr last year to attend a talk about the Crotty Schism which took place in the Catholic church in the mid 1800s.

On the Saturday we visited Ballybrittan Castle, which we were lucky to see before it changes hands to a new owner. Rosemarie warmly welcomed her visitors, sharing the home she lived in and loved for 27 years along with her late husband Jerry Healy, who served on the boards of the Irish Georgian Society and the Alfred Beit Foundation, which manages Russborough House, Co Wicklow.