The Irish Heritage Trust, in partnership with Poetry Ireland and the Irish Landmark Trust, has transformed No 11 Parnell Square in Dublin into a sustainable, accessible cultural hub. The early 18th-century Georgian townhouse, a Protected Structure, now serves as the shared headquarters for the three organizations after a €5.5 million conservation and refurbishment project led by McCullough Mulvin Architects. The restoration, completed in March 2026, achieved an A3 Building Energy Rating, a significant feat for a 300-year-old building, while preserving its historical integrity.
The project, funded through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, followed strict Irish public procurement rules via the eTenders portal using a Most Economically Advantageous Tender evaluation. The Public Works Contract CF5 (Employer Design) was chosen to keep design risk with the employer, a critical decision given the sensitive conservation specifications. Bourke Builders was awarded the contract, working alongside quantity surveyor Brendan Merry & Partners (BMP), which issued 17 monthly cost reports over 21 months, ensuring financial transparency and compliance with funding bodies.
Conservation efforts prioritized retaining original fabric using traditional materials and reversible interventions. Roof replacement involved removing modern additions and re-slating with traditional materials, while façade repointing matched lime-based mortars to the original brickwork. Victorian furniture, including the former Dublin County Council Chamber’s boardroom table, was restored off-site to prevent damage during construction and reinstalled late in the project.
Environmental performance was achieved through a fabric-first strategy. Breathable mineral wool insulation was installed in internal voids, and original timber sash windows were restored with improved glazing. A bivalent heating system, combining Clivet air-source heat pumps and De Dietrich condensing gas boilers, balances low carbon emissions with reliable heating. An integrated building management system optimizes operation based on occupancy and outdoor temperatures.
In the Council Chamber, traditional lath-and-plaster techniques replaced an active water-mist fire suppression system, which had posed space and leak risks to historic ceilings. Removing damaged plaster from below allowed fire-rated insulation installation between joists, preserving the parquet floor and freeing plant space for heat pump infrastructure. This approach reduced costs and avoided mechanical complexity.
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services were routed through existing voids to maintain reversibility, ensuring future removal without damaging original features. Two lift systems—a primary internal lift and an external platform lift—were installed under alternative compliance pathways for Protected Structures, providing step-free access while retaining historic elements intact.
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The project’s steering committee, comprising representatives from the Irish Heritage Trust, Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann, and a government department, convened monthly to review site progress and authorize all cost variations. This governance structure ensured transparent oversight of the €5.5 million investment, with every change requiring formal approval before implementation by Bourke Builders.
Brendan Merry & Partners functioned as both quantity surveyor and employer representative, producing 17 detailed monthly cost reports throughout the 21-month construction phase. These full financial documents were scrutinized by the steering committee and submitted to funding bodies, creating a complete audit trail essential for public and philanthropic funders.
Fire Safety Innovation
The Council Chamber presented a unique challenge due to its historic parquet floor directly above a delicate Victorian plaster ceiling. Initial designs called for an active water-mist suppression system, but technical reviews in mid-2025 revealed critical flaws: storage tanks would compete for limited plant space, and pressurized pipework above the ceiling risked damaging the historic fabric through leaks.
Accessibility Solutions
Georgian townhouses were never designed for universal access, yet No 11 Parnell Square now provides step-free access to all four floors. The main contractor installed a primary internal lift through non-historic secondary voids, serving the new Seamus Heaney Poetry Library and other facilities, supplemented by an external platform lift to the front lightwell.
These circulation upgrades received approval under alternative compliance pathways specifically designed for Protected Structures, allowing the installation of modern accessibility features while preserving original timber-lined chambers, decorative joinery, and historic floor surfaces intact.
