Cork's Fota House set to feature on TV in Great Irish Interiors show

Originally a hunting lodge, Fota House in East Cork became a permanent place of residence in the early 19th century, and celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2020.

Today, it is a beautiful landmark on Fota Island, beside the wildlife park and close to the luxury 5-star Fota Island Resort hotel.

Fota House features in the first episode when a third series of Great Irish Interiors starts on RTÉ1 on Thursday, September 12, at 8pm.

The series is granted access to chart a number of historical interior restorations around the country, through the eyes of those involved.

At Fota House, we find Martina Madden, the Museum Standards & Property Coordinator, is welcoming the grandson of the last resident of the house back to share his memories, and is surprise when he shows her some of his own materials.

As they relive his youth, plenty of work needs to be carried out on the building itself.

Works to remedy dry rot revealed a secret window that now needs shutters, while the entire roof needs to be replaced to preserve the historic interiors.

With a hard deadline for completion of the work on Fota House nearing, the team must also make sure that the small population of bats upstairs is unharmed in the process.

Now entering its longest season yet, with an eight-episode run, Great Irish Interiors has broadened its horizons this time to include the incredibly stunning properties of Northern Ireland on its rota.

In each episode, we follow the teams as they endeavour to return the interiors of these iconic houses and castles to the condition and style they were in at the height of their glory.

With the experts often just working from archives, and with very little photographic evidence to hand, they have to be creative, but accurate. They scour records and artefacts as the history of the houses unravels before their eyes.

These buildings are frozen in time, a moment encapsulating the immense wealth, stunning craftsmanship and deep-rooted connections of Irish history.

Over the course of each episode, the featured properties grow into a richer and more immersive institution.

Paintings are conserved, experts evaluate treasures stowed away and rooms are restored for the public eye.

We also discover hidden secrets in tandem with the team as they prepare for a new era of visitors to their grand properties.