Cork couple’s restoration project features on TV's The Great House Revival

MENTAL health nurse Mary-Claire Walters and carpenter Shane ‘Sully’ O’Sullivan fell in love with The Parson’s House, a four bedroom Georgian cut stone building in Cork, the second they saw it.

Located at the central crossroads of Churchtown in North Cork, the village is conveniently halfway between their two home places. More importantly it is neutral ground for their different local GAA teams!

The couple’s attempts to restore and transform the property can be followed in the first episode of a new series of The Great House Revival on RTÉ1 Sunday, March 24, at 9.30pm.

With a budget of €130,000, Mary-Claire and Sully will have to put in a lot of hard graft .

Over the course of a year and a half, and via the adoption of a furry addition to the family, the pair create a stunning modern home whilst still paying homage to the building’s rich past.

In the series, back for a fourth run, design legend Hugh Wallace follows homeowners 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.