Lots of people dream about finding an old country house to do up, but few actually get down to doing it. Martin Walsh has done it, not once but twice. As soon as he had finished restoring a farmhouse in Co Kilkenny, he moved on to the next project, a large coach-house needing complete refurbishment in the same neighbourhood.
Originally from New Ross, Co Wexford, Martin moved to Dublin in the 1980s, establishing a successful jewellery business in the city centre and settling down in Monkstown with his family. However, he decided to invest in an old derelict farmhouse in the village of Powers Wood, Co Kilkenny. The idea was to move there and commute to his business in Dublin. It took five years to renovate, with the help of architect Ross Cahill-O'Brien. No sooner had he finished that project than he heard word of another property in the locality that was on the market. He jumped feet first and bought.
His new property and prospective home was one of the largest coach depots in the country. Originally part of a 2,000-acre estate, Mamree House consists of three large coach-houses, a 500-yard-long driveway, and two-and-a-half acres of garden. A point of interest is the number of archways the buildings have: most coach-houses of that era had only two archways, but Mamree has six, which have now been restored. His new home is in the townland of Cappagh, close to the River Nore and the pretty heritage village of Inistioge. The first major job on the coach-houses was to sandblast all the original stonework in order to enhance the beautiful hues on the old stone walls. On two of the coach-houses the roofs were secure, but on the one he has converted into a family home, he had to lift the roof, felt and insulate, then replace it in its original form.
The entry to their home is via a wrought-iron stairwell which brings you to the first floor above the six arches. This level has four bedrooms, playrooms and a living area, all of which are integrated into the natural roof line.
All the windows have retained their original shape, with areas of stone left exposed in the living area, thereby retaining the true character of the place. From the livingroom, Martin plans to build a platform deck area which would overlook the Rupea Stream which runs behind his property. Inside he has worked around all the original beams, harmonising living requirements with the natural architecture.
Standing in the main bedroom, you have a view down the length of the coach-house. As with his previous renovations, none of the materials are new, all are bought second-hand and, where possible, are integrated as sympathetically as possible. Now with the main family home finished, he is turning his attentions to restoring the remaining two buildings. Finally making the break from Dublin, he now runs his business from Kilkenny where there are fewer distractions and the shortest possible commute time.
