Editorial by Emma Deighan.
At Loughcrew, Co. Meath, Christmas begins long before anyone sits down at the table. As twilight falls, the gardens start to glow. Trees are picked out in lights, paths wind through the darkness and the estate takes on a completely different character. Inside the house, candles are lit, greenery is brought in from the garden and a real Christmas tree from the estate fills the rooms with scent.
When Emily Naper first encountered the property, in 1981, it was almost unrecognisable from the place it is today. ‘It was a complete ruin with sheep living in it,’ she says. ‘The reason behind the project was because I fell in love with Loughcrew and the cut stone along with the ruined portico lying in the grass,’ smiles Emily. What followed was not a simple renovation. Emily describes it as “a legacy of work”, something that has evolved gradually over more than four decades. Her aim was never to create a perfect historic showpiece. ‘I never wanted Loughcrew to feel like a museum, I wanted Loughcrew to feel lived in,’ she explains.
Read more in the December issue…
