Restoration works underway on Cork period home due to open to guests in 2024

The restoration of a 200-year-old Cork period home, once owned by the Presentation nuns, has been partially supported by a conservation grant from Airbnb.

Richmond House in Fermoy was one of three winners of the Airbnb capacity awards, alongside Frybrook House, Boyle in Roscommon and The Gatekeeper’s Lodge at Whitewood House, Nobber, Co Meath.

Earlier this year, Airbnb, the San Francisco-based home-sharing company, partnered with Historic Houses of Ireland to help support the conservation of heritage homes and sites in Ireland.

That partnership established the capacity awards, a fund available to members of Historic Houses of Ireland to support the development, maintenance, and restoration of their properties.

The funding will also support the owners in preparing their historic homes for the tourism market.

Applications for the grants were assessed by a panel of representatives from Historic Houses of Ireland and Airbnb, and each of the three successful applicants received an award of €2,500 to assist with preparing the property for the tourism market.

History of home 

Richmond House, which overlooks Fermoy from the south side, lay vacant for some time before being acquired by its current owners, Fiachra Ó Cinnéide and Debbie Gaffney in 2020. An eight-bay, two-storey structure built in the Italianate-style circa 1830, Richmond House first appeared on the Ordnance Survey map of 1840.

The first owner of the house was a Mr H Smyth in 1837, and in 1847 it passed into the hands of Captain George Walker, believed to have been related to the Johnnie Walker whisky family, and there is a pond on the property which was a holding pond for a local distillery.

The house was in the hands of the Presentation Sisters from 1920 to 2020.

Since they bought the house, Fiachra Ó Cinnéide and Debbie Gaffney have been busy transforming it into an arts, education, and community hub as well as their family home.

The capacity award funding will finance specialist lime plastering and heritage sash window repairs for a two-bedroom apartment in the house, hastening the property’s readiness to welcome guests.

New life 

Mr Ó Cinnéide said he and Ms Gaffney were delighted to have received the Airbnb capacity award, which, he said, had provided them with much-needed funding.

“We are passionate about breathing new life into this beautiful period property and sharing our journey with as many people as possible,” he said.

“We are honoured to receive this award, which will allow us to complete this first phase of our project and start us on our journey of welcoming guests to our beautiful home.”

Airbnb’s head of public policy for Ireland Derek Nolan said Ireland’s historic houses offer a depth of history and add uniqueness to the local tourism offer.

“Careful restoration of these historical homes provides additional tourism accommodation which is badly needed in some areas,” he said.

“The opening of Richmond House to guests in 2024 will provide a welcome boost to tourism in Fermoy and beyond.”

Historic Houses of Ireland chairman Thomas Cosby said the organisation was delighted to be partnering with Airbnb to bring resources and expertise to its members. “Historic houses often form a vital part of their communities, whether through employment, as part of the local tourism ecosystem, or as a community and arts venue. We are excited to do our part in bringing these properties back to their original glory,” he said.