The Great House Revival: 1870s cowshed becomes modern home

Presented by architect Hugh Wallace, this series follows homeowners across Ireland as they try to restore and transform their derelict properties into comfortable homes fit for today – while saving a piece of the country's architectural heritage.

In this new series, Hugh meets homeowners who are transforming a cowshed on a ruined grand estate, a rotten farmhouse with a secret, a former seaside guesthouse, a derelict vernacular cottage, a Burren herder’s hut, an old grocery shop, tumbling cabins and a depopulated village’s former Post House, across the country from Cork to Donegal.

In this week's episode, viewers saw a derelict cowshed on a grand estate find new life as a contemporary family home.

Nestled in the dense forest of Lough Key, Dublin-based architects Fiona Brugha and Paddy Dunne found a substantial 1870s colonnaded stone building.

Once the cowhouse belonging to the vast Rockingham Estate, they plan on turning this thick stone walled ruin into a contemporary family home for themselves and their two small children.

The defining feature is the row of tall arches running the full length of the building, which give most rooms in the house a view of the surrounding forest. Their budget is €350,000, but a restoration project among the trees doesn't come without challenges.