Hundreds of people attended the recent ‘Traditional Building and Conservation Skills Heritage’ exhibition held in Adare, Co Limerick.

Limerick County Council, along with the Irish Georgian Society hosted the Exhibition, which is held annually in Adare.

It included demonstrations on traditional building skills and the conservation and restoration of all types of period properties in the Adare Village Hall. It also featured a series of talks and lectures on aspects of architectural conservation at the Adare Heritage Centre.

Launching the Exhibition, Kevin Sheahan, Cathaoirleach of Limerick County Council said: “The County Council has almost 1,500 buildings registered with the Record of Protected Structures, the number having been increased significantly following the launch of the Council’s Conservation Initiative in 1995.

“Any area’s culture and heritage is very much grounded on the importance of the smaller and simpler buildings located within it, such as thatched houses. As for those who have scant regard for the importance of the big house, I would like to remind them that it was native craftsmen and skilled tradesmen, guided in the main by Irish architects, who actually designed and constructed these houses. It is their heritage that we honour and preserve when we host events such as the ‘Traditional Building and Conservation Skills Exhibition’”.

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Tom Cassidy, Conservation Officer with Limerick County Council, said: “The weekend event offered advice and information to those undertaking works to old buildings and to highlight the availability of specialist skills and crafts. The hundreds of visitors attending the exhibition saw skilled tradesmen demonstrating traditional building skills relevant to their own properties. Craftspeople and commercial firms also answered queries and offered expert advice.”

Some of the skills that were on display included thatching, stonecutting, woodcarving, timber sash window restoration, traditional ironwork conservation, decorative plasterwork and pole lathe turning.

Gerry Sheeran, Senior Planner with Limerick County Council said: “Limerick County Council was one of the first to protect its heritage by including a substantial list of protected structures in its development plan. Of particular importance are the 220 thatched houses and buildings.”

The Exhibition took place only weeks after John Gormley, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, launched the first two booklets in a new advice series dealing with the maintenance of older buildings and the repair of historic windows.

(LC/SP)