Odd couple Bannon & Benson's CF haven blends Scandi and stardust

A whole community of builders came on board to help turn a period house in south Dublin into a home away from home for the families of people with cystic fibrosis coming to the city for treatment. Julian Benson and Dermot Bannon tell Claire O'Mahony how Tranquillity House happened.

"I’m so thankful that I’m healthy and that I’ve been able to deliver a promise that I made to the Irish people and those with cystic fibrosis," says choreographer and former Dancing With The Stars judge, Julian Benson.

That promise, which Julian also made to his late mother, Maura, was to 'give back’ to the cystic fibrosis community.

Julian (53), who was diagnosed with CF at age two and given a life expectancy of 13 years, set up The Julian Benson CF Foundation in 2018. Four years later, the foundation bought a 162-year-old Georgian house in Rathgar in south Dublin. The vision was to renovate the house into a welcoming, modern place to stay for CF patients and their families travelling to Dublin for treatment, while still retaining the building’s rich history.

Read more: Abandoned house becomes 'home away from home' for CF patients

Thanks to an army of workers who volunteered their services for free, combined with donations from the public and with architect Dermot Bannon on board, Tranquillity House is set to be Ireland’s first home away from home for the CF community.

Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world: it’s the country’s most common inherited genetic disease. People who have CF can regularly spend long periods in hospitals that specialise in CF treatment, which often means families doing long round-trips and daily commutes from all over the country.

The cost of accommodation in the capital is too much for many in this situation. Tranquillity House, with its four separate two-bedroom apartment suits, which are fully equipped, will take some of the stress off the shoulders of CF patients and their loved ones.

"It’s the beginning of a new era," says Julian. He too is entering a new chapter in his life, having received a kidney transplant late last year. "Essentially, I got a new lease of life," he says. "For the past couple of years, I've been on dialysis, but all the time working away, working on this project. If I'm honest, this project is what kept me going because I was determined to keep fighting. I got a call one night out of the blue seven weeks before Christmas. That magic call came and the next minute I was in Beaumont and then I had a new kidney."

Tranquillity House, he says, is the culmination of hard work by a lot of dedicated people. "I’m only one person but I have the most amazing dream team and without them, there would be nothing," Julian says. "I’m dancing on air because this is a land of love and kindness. The Irish people are incredible. When you put a call out, they come to your aid. I’ll be forever grateful to them."

Once the house had been bought, the real challenge of getting the project off the ground began. "I know how to dance; I’m twinkle-toed, but I’m not a builder," Julian admits. "Dermot [Bannon] is all about the budgets. I said, ‘Dermot, we need to rewind here: there is no budget because we don’t have the money, but the people of Ireland will help us.’ I said ‘We will tell the story and they will help us.’

"Benson and Bannon, we got together. We went on a mission. We reached out to all the building companies to try and get them on board, and that was massive. We have over 120 companies and counting that have given labour, products, everything. It's incredible. Not only that, they have given us the best quality, so we're able to future-proof this house. The challenges have been enormous, but nothing that we haven't overcome."

Dermot Bannon says that from the outset, he was completely drawn in by the stories that Julian told him about the experience of people with CF and their families.

"I had a little bit of experience of kids and youngsters with CF when I did a charity project in Tallaght Hospital years ago, and what struck me then was the amount of time in a year that children with CF have to spend in hospital. It's not just that you're in hospital for three days and you're out. Sometimes, it can be months.

"Julian told me about the parents struggling to find somewhere to stay; then at home, there are younger siblings who don't get to see the rest of the family, or there's a mum away or a dad away for a month. I said, yeah, this is an amazing project. We have to do this. I was in."

Like Julian, Dermot has been moved by the generosity of others. "It’s blown me away: the kindness and the man hours that people have offered up and spent on that building site, and the stuff that people have donated. The innovation that has gone into that house, and the craftsmanship that has gone back into it – that’s all been done for nothing," he says.

"I know there's TV shows like DIY SOS that are similar to this one, but I've never really been involved in them. I've never really felt that overall human goodness and I’ve never been in the middle of that before. It's unbelievable."

Helming the project is builder Brandon Duarte, whose responsibility is to oversee the team of restorers, fire specialists, electricians, plumbers, painters and construction experts and builders, in what was a logistical nightmare with everyone working for free.

Working alongside Brandon is the CEO of the Julian Benson Foundation, Louise Doogan. For Louise, the transformation of Tranquillity House is evidence of the strength of community.

"This project has shown us that kindness and generosity truly have no limits. We are so proud of what’s been created here: a sanctuary where people can find comfort and peace during some of the most challenging times in their lives," she says.

"This landmark project demonstrates the incredible power of community, proving that when people come together with a shared purpose, extraordinary things can happen. Tranquillity House is not just a place to stay; it’s a place that embodies hope, love and compassion, providing much-needed support for Ireland’s cystic fibrosis community."

Louise also had the task of managing two rather large personalities – Julian and Dermot. "We’re like an old married couple," says Julian. "What I've learned about Dermot is it's all about compromise. In this project, we've had good compromises. Now Dermot likes things the way Dermot likes them, and I have my own ideas on things, but together we're box office gold."

Of Benson and Bannon’s working relationship, Dermot says: "Julian has a certain style about him. He doesn’t like dull and dreary; he brings a bit of stardust to everything that he does. There might be a couple of clashes over taste in the show because he wouldn’t be a Scandi minimalist, and I suppose I would. There were lots of times I thought he was joking when he said, ‘Oh, we’re going to do this’. But then I thought, why not? At a certain point I had to understand that this is Julian’s gift back to the CF community, it’s not mine. He’s brilliant and it’s a passion project for him."

One of the characteristic aspects of CF is that while people with the condition can look healthy, internally there’s a lot going on. "I don’t think people know the amount of medications you have to take," says Julian.

"That's why people with CF are warriors. They're resilient and they have to go through a regime day in, day out of medications, nebulisers and airway clearance twice a day. It’s important to note that there are different types of CF as well. Some people have more complications. Some people have kidney issues; they could have pancreatic issues or heart issues."

After so many years of blood, sweat and tears, Tranquillity House is on the cusp of opening this spring, and it’s going to be transformative for the CF community.

"We are giving them, for the first time ever in Ireland, a dedicated home away from home, a place for them to stay when they travel to Dublin. Families travel to Dublin for treatment from all over Ireland, and it’s expensive to stay in Dublin.

"Most people do round trips. Sometimes patients don't even get to have a visitor maybe once every two weeks because the family can't afford to stay here. Tranquillity House allows families to stay close by their loved ones, not have to worry because they're staying free of charge. We're looking after them. They'll have a place to lie down, feel safe, warm and cared for," says Julian.

"This will also help the healing process for those in hospital because with cystic fibrosis, you can be in for weeks or months. I've experienced this first-hand. This is why I know how important this is. I've seen the families sleep on floors and chairs, and this now will change the game altogether. We're going to be able to take care of four families at a time."

Find out more about The Julian Benson CF Foundation at jbcff.com