SPAB Ireland Kilmore Working Party

Event details

Due to high subscription and limited numbers, we ask that if you wish to attend the Working Party you fill out this REGISTRATION FORM.

We will contact you with more information and a payment link if your application is successful. Successful applicants must be available to attend for the full days Saturday and Sunday. Places are very limited but a second Working Party will take place later in the year and will aim to accommodate those who are unable to attend the first event.

The Working Party will cost €50/£45 for SPAB members and €65/£55 for non-members, plus booking fees. Breakfast and lunch is provided both days, and there will be a BBQ provided on the Saturday evening.

Kilmore Cottage

The structure is a one and a half storey, five bay vernacular thatch-under-tin cottage, which mostly likely has its origins in the late C17, but which was later gentrified in the early C19. It has walling of both stone and mud construction and a corrugated tin roof and historic thatch.

Our working parties are a chance for participants to combine well-proven SPAB principles with practical repair techniques. For this working party, we welcome applications from anyone with some practical hands-on conservation experience - whether you've attended a Working Party in the past, have experience working on your own home or work as a conservation practitioner.

The working party will provide a unique opportunity for building professionals, craftspeople, general builders, students, homeowners, and experienced enthusiasts alike to learn more about traditional conservation building skills through hands-on experience.

Accommodation will be provided by way of camping space in a field adjacent the site (bathroom and catering facilities will be available), or you are welcome to arrange your own accommodation.

The event will be fully COVID-19 compliant with social distancing and all other safety measures in place.More information is supplied in the registration form. 

Activities Planned

Day 1, Friday 20th - Late afternoon / evening arrival: Volunteers are welcome to arrive from 4pm and set up camp in the adjacent 'Honeypot' field at Kilmore. At 5.30pm in nearby Richhill there is an optional outdoor tour of Richhill Castle and reserved tables for dinner at a local pub.

Day 2, Saturday 21st - Introductory morning session including site history, SPAB philosophy of repair, Health & Safety, and introduction to lime mortars. Workshops on site including lime mixing, demonstration of structural repairs and traditional harling methods to a historic masonry wall, a soft capping workshop and sketching workshops. Breakfast and lunch is provided, along with an evening BBQ dinner in a nearby garden.

Day 3, Sunday 22nd - Workshops from the previous day will continue, and we will rehang a new gate to the front elevation. In the late afternoon, we will have our final tidy up and departure. Breakfast and lunch is provided.

Other information

This event is supported by the Heritage Council under the Heritage Sector Support Fund 2021 and forms part of SPAB Ireland's Vernacular Irish Buildings Campaign 2021. Other events include a second Working Party in Co. Tipperary, a 10 part online lecture series and a 10 episode Podcast series. All events are generously funded by the Heritage Council under the Heritage Sector Support Fund 2021. To keep up to date with the Vernacular Buildings Campaign 2021 activities, sign up to our mailing list.

We look forward to seeing you soon!