Date: -
Audience: General interest
Price:
£5 Members
£7 Non-members
Event details
Tuesday 4 August, 7.30pm
In the fourth talk of Ireland’s 2026 lecture series, Jonathan Buckley of Shaffrey Architects will talk about the conservation of Dromdiah House and the careful approach taken to repair, revive, and secure the future of an important historic building.
The lecture will explore how the project balanced conservation principles, technical challenges and long-term sustainability, while respecting the character, fabric and significance of the house. Drawing on the project team’s experience, it will consider how the building was understood, how priorities for repair were identified, and how decisions were made around materials, craftsmanship and intervention. It will offer insight into how thoughtful conservation can address structural issues, weathering, decay, and adaptation needs without losing the integrity of the original building. It will also reflect on what made the scheme award-winning, and what lessons it offers for the wider care of historic houses in Ireland.
Attendees will gain a better understanding of how high-quality conservation projects are developed and delivered, from first assessment through to completed works. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during a live Q&A at the end of the session.
Who is this talk for?
This lecture is aimed at those directly involved in working on traditional buildings with a technical side to the lecture. Private owners of traditional buildings are also welcome.
IT requirements
You will need a computer, phone or other device with a stable internet connection
Speaker(s)
Jonathan Buckley is an Associate working at Shaffrey Architects. He holds international experience on a variety of projects across Ireland, the UK and Germany. To date, he has worked on a range of significant conservation projects in Ireland including the major refurbishment and expansion of the Crawford Art Gallery, and the sensitive restoration of West Gate House in Drogheda, which transformed the historic structure into a vibrant community center and theatre space. Additionally, Jonathan contributed significantly to the Office of Public Works (OPW) guidance document and case studies, Approaches to Improving the Energy Performance of Heritage Properties in State Care, a pioneering publication that was honoured with the prestigious Europa Nostra Grand Prix Award 2026. His professional interests focus on careful adaptive reuse of existing heritage assets and sensitive design interventions to historic contexts.
Accessibility
Closed captions are available for this talk.
Supported by
This event is generously supported by The Heritage Council.
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Photo credit: Rosemary Kane/ Alamy