DERRYNANE HOUSE by Office of Public Works

Athchóirlú/Refurbishment

Tigh Mór Dhoire Fhionáin/Derrynane House

Réamhrá Baile dúchais Dhónaill Uí Chonaill, feisire parlaiminte an Chláir san 19ú aois agus saothraí um fhuascailt na gCaitiliceach, is ea Tigh Mór Dhoire Fhíonáin. Inniú, sé Rannán Réadmhaoine Stairiúil Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí a dhéanann cúram den tigh agus den Pháirc Náisiúnta mórthimpeall, atá ar oscailt don phobal idir Aibreán agus Deireadh Fómhair gach bliain. Tá mórán nithe a bhaineann le Dónall Ó Conaill agus a mhuintir sa tigh, ar a n-áirítear bailiúchán portráidí agus cuid mhaith den troscán bunaidh. Bíonn ceithre phríomhsheomra ar oscailt don phobal: an seomra bia agus an seomra staidéir ar an mbunurlár, agus an parlús agus an leabharlann ar an urlár thuas, chomh maith le teach cóiste; is ann atá an carbad a tógadh le haghaidh an turais abhaile ag Ó Conaill nuair a scaoileadh saor é as Priosún Richmond in 1844. Féadfaidh cuairteoirí léiriúchán closamhairc ar bheatha Uí Chonaill a fheiceáil in amharclann beag agus dul chuig na seomraí tae, na gairdíní stairiúla, an Pháirc Náisiúnta mórthimpeall agus na tránna agus cósta atá sa chomharsanacht.

Cúlra agus cuspóirí an tionscadail Léiríodh roinnt ceisteanna maidir le hinrochtaineacht ar an láthair. Níorbh fhéidir le daoine ar éagumas gluaiseachta ach an bunurlár a rochtain, agus bhí easpa spáis i gcuid de na háiseanna, an fáiltiú san áireamh. Bhí céimeanna isteach chuig an seomra closamhairc agus chuig na leithris do chuairteoirí. Lasmuigh, ba dhúshlán é an dromchla féir agus cloiche do chuairteoirí nach raibh lúth na gcos go maith acu. Anuas go 2006, bhí cuid den tigh in úsáid mar áit chónaithe feighlí. Nuair a tháinig an spás seo saor, bhí deis ann feidhm a bhaint as an gcuid seo den tigh le haghaidh cuairteoirí agus cóiríocht bhreise. Bhí príomhchuspóirí an tionscadail dírithe ar inrochtaineacht, chuig an tigh agus an láthair, agus ar na bailiúcháin trí léiriú agus léirmhíniú breise. Cur síos ar na hoibreacha Cruthaíodh bealach isteach nua inrochtaine do chuairteoirí agus láthair fáilte san áit ina raibh seomra na dtreoraithe agus áit chónaithe an fheighlí. Anseo freisin tá nasc chuig an seomra closamhairc, agus

staighre agus ardaitheoir nua chuig spás taispeántais ar an urlár thuas; tá rampa chuig an parlús agus an leabharlann nach raibh teacht orthu ach ar staighre go dtí seo. Mar sin don chéad uair féadfaidh daoine le cathaoireacha rothaí agus naícharranna teacht ar an urlár thuas. Feabhsaíodh doirse agus urláir, chomh maith le soilsiú éigeandála agus na haláraim dóiteáin, de réir na gcaighdeán sábháilteachta dóiteáin is déanaí. Léiríonn taispeántas nua an t-ábhar ar bhealach níos inrochtaine chuig pobal níos leithne; tá frámaí nua taispeántais, téacsanna agus treoirleabhair ilteangacha agus lúb ionduchtaithe do dhaoine ar éagumas éisteachta. Féadfar anois an tigh agus na bailiúcháin atá ann a fheiceáil ar an mbealach is fearr; tá cur síos leanúnach a thugann eolas ar Thigh Mór Dhoire Fhíonáin agus ar Dhónall Ó Conaill ar bhealach atá tarraingteach agus fíorúil. Lasmuigh, sa chlós isteach agus i gclós an tseomra tae, leagadh síos dromchla nua inrochtaine le meascán cloiche agus gairbhéil scagach. Tá dhá charrchlós chomh maith le láthair tuirlingt, agus athraíodh na leibhéil sa chaoi go bhfuil

Bhí cur chuige na hoibre ag teacht leis an gcleachtas is fearr caomhantais – an cur isteach is lú, deisiú mar a chéile agus an cumas chun oibreacha nua a inaisathrú dá mba ghá é sin.

teacht ar na doirsí ar fad ar aon leibhéal. Leathnaíodh na doirsí chun cathaoireacha rothaí a ligean isteach. Cur chuige deartha Ba bheag an obair a ndearnadh as an nua. Díríodh ar an gcur isteach is lú a dhéanamh ar fhoirgneamh atá faoi chosaint, agus athúsáid a dhéanamh as spás a bhí ann cheana. Ar an dtaobh istigh, coinníodh struchtúr, fabraic agus bailchríoch chomh fada agus ab fhéidir, agus roghnaiodh ábhar nua a bheadh ag freagairt dóibh. Clárbhrat clochaoil agus dara atá in urláir nua nuair is ann dóibh. Cuireadh béim ar adhmadóireacht den scoth taobh istigh de chreatlach an fhoirgnimh, le láithreacha comhtháite suí agus taispeántais.

Chuir Fáilte Ireland maoiniú i bpáirt ar fáil don obair. Ba iad foirne ailtireachta, innealtóireachta, suirbhéireacht chainníochta agus bainistiú tionscadail Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí a dhearaigh agus a stiúraigh an tionscadal, le cúnamh ó Sheirbhísí Oidhreachta OPW (Réadmhaoin Stairiúla agus Seirbhísí Chuairteoirí). Eamonn Costello (Kerry) Ltd ó Thrá Lí a dhein an obair thógála, a críochnaíodh i mBealtaine 2014 in am do shéasúr an tsamhraidh.

FOIREANN SEIRBHÍSÍ AILTIREACHTA OPW: Barbara Kenny (ar scor), Eithne Moran, Flora O Mahony SEIRBHÍSÍ UM SHUIRBHÉIREACHT CHAINNÍOCHTA OPW: Ronan Clerkin SEIRBHÍSÍ INNEALTÓIREACHTA M+L OPW: James Hayde SEIRBHÍSÍ INNEALLTÓIREACHTA STRUCHTÚRTHA OPW: Kieran Walsh, Sean Balfe SEIRBHÍSÍ UM BAINISTIÚ TIONSCADAIL OPW: Gerard Kennedy, Barry Nangle SEIRBHÍSÍ OIDHREACHTA OPW: Adrian Corcoran, Brian Crowley, Margaret Gormley, Mary Heffernan, Bridgeen Kelly, George Moir, Chris O Neill BRAINSE TROSCÁIN OPW: Robert Guihen PRÍOMH-CHONRAITHEOIR: Eamonn Costello (Kerry) Ltd.

1 Tigh Mór Dhoire Fhíonáin, radharc ón phríomhbhealach isteach 2 An clós atá athchóirithe agus tírdhreachtaithe, le cosáin phábháilte nua, rampaí, céimeanna, plandáil agus soilsiú Cóipcheart: Ros Kavanagh

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The newly refurbished and landscaped courtyard, with new paved paths, ramps and steps, planting and lighting

New entrance area with reception desk, seating, exhibition, link to audio visual room, and access to new stairs and lift

New exhibition space at first floor. The ramp to accommodate the changes in level has been successfully integrated into the exhibition

6-7 Daniel O’Connell’s Library and study, with new exhibition cases for display of the collections 3

Introduction Derrynane House is the ancestral home of Daniel O’Connell, the 18th century MP for Clare and champion for Catholic emancipation. Today, the house and the surrounding National Park are managed by the Historic Properties division of the Office of Public Works, and are open to the public between April and October each year. The house contains many artefacts associated with Daniel O’Connell and his family, including a family portrait collection, and much original furniture. Four main rooms are open to the public: the dining room and study on the ground floor, and the drawing room and library on the upper floor, as well a coach house which 28

accommodates the chariot constructed for O’Connell’s triumphal return home following his release from Richmond Prison in 1844. Visitors can also visit a small theatre with an audio-visual presentation on O’Connell’s life, as well as the tea rooms; and many use the house as a base for exploring the historic gardens, the wider National Park, and the adjacent beaches and coastline. Project background and objectives Historically, a number of issues had been identified in relation to the accessibility of the site, with access for people with impaired mobility limited to the ground floor of the house, and many facilities, including the reception area,

restricted in size. There was also stepped access into the audio-visual room, and into the main visitor toilets. Externally, the courtyard surface of grass and crazy paving presented further difficulties to less able bodied visitors. Until 2006, part of the existing house was used as a caretaker’s apartment, and when this became vacant, the opportunity arose to revise visitor access and extend accommodation into this part of the house. The main project objectives focussed on accessibility: both the physical accessibility of the house and site, as well as increased accessibility of the collections, through enhanced presentation and interpretation.

Description of works A new accessible visitor entrance and reception space was located in the area previously used as the guides’ room and former caretaker’s living quarters. This space also provides a new internal link to the audio visual room, and gives access to the new lift and stairwell whereby visitors can reach a new exhibition space at first floor, and also visit, via a ramp, the existing drawing room and library, formerly only accessible by the existing stairs. This brings the first floor into use by people with wheelchairs or buggies for the first time. Existing doors and floors, as well as emergency lighting and alarm systems throughout the buildings, were upgraded to meet current fire safety standards. A new exhibition concept presents the material in a more accessible way, and to a wider audience, including new exhibition cases, multi lingual exhibition texts and guidebooks, and an induction loop facility for visitors with hearing impairments. The house and its collections can

now be seen to their best advantage, with a coherent narrative allowing visitors to learn about Derrynane and Daniel O’ Connell in an engaging and authentic manner. Externally, the surfaces of both the entrance courtyard and the tea room courtyard were re-laid using a mix of stone paving and an accessible permeable gravel surface. Two universal car park spaces and a drop off area were also provided, and levels adjusted to provide level access to all external doors. Where required, external doors have been increased in width to accommodate wheelchairs. Design approach There was a limited amount of new work carried out, with a focus on minimising intervention to the protected structure, and re-using, or re-inhabiting existing spaces. Internally, existing structure, fabric and finishes were retained wherever possible, and new materials and finishes chosen to complement these. Floor finishes, where new, are

limestone and oak boarding. There was an emphasis on high quality joinery and studwork inserted within the existing building shell, like a finely crafted jewellery box, with integrated seating and exhibition areas. The approach to the works conformed with best conservation practice and was guided by the principles of minimum intervention, repairing like with like, and the reversibility, where possible, of new intervention works. The works were partfunded by Fáilte Ireland, and designed and project managed by the architectural, engineering, quantity surveying, and project management teams of the Office of Public Works, assisted by our colleagues in OPW Heritage Services (Historic Properties and Visitor Services). Construction was carried out by Tralee-based building contractors Eamonn Costello (Kerry) Ltd., and completed in May 2014 for the summer season.

The dining room and drawing room at Derrynane House

Newly refurbished lobby at ground floor Photography by Ros Kavanagh

TEAM OPW ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES: Barbara Kenny (retired), Eithne Moran, Flora O Mahony OPW QUANTITY SURVEYING SERVICES: Ronan Clerkin OPW M+E ENGINEERING SERVICES: James Hayde OPW STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SERVICES: Kieran Walsh, Sean Balfe OPW PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES: Gerard Kennedy, Barry Nangle OPW HERITAGE SERVICES: Adrian Corcoran, Brian Crowley, Margaret Gormley, Mary Heffernan, Bridgeen Kelly, George Moir, Chris O Neill OPW FURNITURE BRANCH: Robert Guihen MAIN CONTRACTOR: Eamonn Costello (Kerry) Ltd.