Major Heritage Buildings Show taking place in Birr this weekend

A notable annual event for many years at various locations around the country, the Irish Georgian Society's Traditional Skills 2024 gathering will this June be in the much-loved and very appropriate setting of Birr.

Taking place both inside and outside Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, marquees on Oxmantown Mall will be filled with craftspeople demonstrating their skills, including restorers, suppliers, and experts demonstrating all the meticulous work and appropriate materials needed to restore Ireland's built heritage.

Speakers will give talks inside the Tudor Revival Birr Theatre (designed by the renowned 19th century architect, author and keen amateur actor, James Franklin Fuller).

Offaly's Heritage Buildings Show, which will be co-hosted by Offaly County Council with the Birr & Midlands Chapter of the Irish Georgian Society, will be launched by Hugh Wallace on Saturday June 15th.

This Buildings Show will be fascinating, enlightening and exceptionally well-worth attending - enjoyable for all the family as there will also be craft workshops for children. Indeed as essential for those who are about to embark on the restoration of their period building, as for people more casually interested in sustainable options for heritage-focussed, quality structures. Perhaps for some, being inspired to consider a fresh path in conservation, to those who love history. And others who may be longing to find a refreshing enthusiasm in their working lives, to discovering the opportunities for learning and acquiring restoration skills. Or simply go along and be engrossed in the hearing of and seeing the diversity of talents and knowledge from the heroes who 'make', and who 'do' things constructively with patience: the cherishable few who rescue and revive Ireland's beautiful, built heritage.

From 10am to 5pm on Saturday June 15 and Sunday June 16 you will be able to watch first hand master craftspeople demonstrate the traditional methods and materials needed for the care and conservation of heritage buildings. Skills demonstrated in Birr Theatre & Arts Centre will include: brick making, decorative plasterwork, dry stonewall construction, gilding, ironwork, pole lathe turning, use of lime based mortars, sash window conservation, sign writing, slate roofing, stained glass and fanlight repair, stone carving, thatching and wallpaper making. Admission is free.

To make it a fuller weekend of family enjoyments, add in diversions such as taking an amble around this heritage town for highlights along the fascinating Famous & Notables of Birr Trail.

More information can be found the Georgian Society's website – www.igs.ie