Series 3, Episode 3
Dunleer, Co Louth
Gym manager Kelly and barber Paddy were gifted a patch of land in the small town of Dunleer, Co Louth by Paddy’s parents. They plan a comfy newbuild, but hidden under a ball of ivy on site, they uncover a towering mill built in the 1830s. It was missing every one of its 43 windows and most of its roof and floors, but these thirtysomethings see beyond the ruination and set about converting it. They face the challenge of lockdowns, the threat of losing their mortgage, and camping out with their respective mammies during their first pregnancy and the birth of their daughter Caragh. But the crisp, contemporary and comfy home they manage to create within the walls of a literal ruin makes their struggles worthwhile.
Series information
The Great House Revival returns with a whole new generation of budding restorers and ruinous wrecks. This year’s lineup reflects social media’s fascination with restoration: the cast are younger and their planned finishes are all the more contemporary and hashtag-happy. Projects range from a hulking ivy-covered mill in Co Louth and a castle on the verge of collapse in Co Wexford, to a house inherited from Nana, complete with her psychedelic furnishings, in Co Laois. Also featured is a barn in Co Galway, a Victorian villa on the banks of the Lee in Co Cork and a pub on the border in Co Monaghan. The homeowners face two years of construction shutdowns, lockdown-pregnancies and cost hikes but battle through to create six utterly original homes.