Dermot tours some of Ireland’s finest spaces

A VARIETY of Ireland’s finest homes and indoor and outdoor spaces feature in a new series fronted by Ireland’s favourite architect and property guru.

In Dermot Bannon’s Super Spaces starting on RTÉ1 at 9.35pm on Wednesday, September 4, he tours Ireland visiting a host of spaces, from beautifully renovated and award-winning homes to outdoor swimming pools, and even Limerick’s new rugby visitor experience.

First up, he heads to Fernwood Farm in Connemara, where Simon and Anne Ashe have created a luxurious getaway on their 150-acre property.

Perched on 57 stilts, Stilt House is the epitome of a hidden gem. Alongside it is the Dome House, a one-bedroom escape nestled in the crowns of the trees.

Back in Dublin, Dermot pops in to visit architect Jack O’Kelly, who has renovated an old house in Phibsborough, across the road from the Hendron buildings.

Taking inspiration from his time as an architect in Barcelona, Jack bought this three-storey house in 2016 and started renovations in the basement, then the ground floor and finally the first floor. The work might have been slow, but the results are amazing.

Clontarf Baths is an oasis on the north Dublin coast, and Dermot talks to those who use this pool, not only for sea-swimming training, but also for their mental health.

While in Dubiln, he heads to the North Strand, to the cleverly designed Charleville House, inhabited by Sean and Sofie O’Sullivan and their children.

An hour away, he travels to the award-winning house An Tuí, a 200-year-old thatched cottage restored and extended by architect Karen Brownlee.

Also in the episode, Paul O’Connell puts Dermot through his paces at the new International Rugby Experience, in Limerick.

Designed by Niall McLaughlin, it has stunning 360-degree views of the city, sitting on the edge of a conservation area on a tight urban site. The challenge was to create a modern interactive experience in a building that also sits comfortably in the Georgian Quarter.

Back in Dublin, in a laneway away from the hustle and bustle of Camden Street, a brand new home sits on a tiny triangular site. Owned by Akin Jabar and her husband David, it is just two metres wide at its narrowest and yet packs a serious punch.

Finally, Dermot heads to Basalt House in Portrush, Antrim. One of the most spectacular homes he has ever visited, it is the home to David and Joanna Glenn and their family.