A Home Reimagined

Homeowners Michael and Catherine have built a house on the outskirts of Tralee in Co. Kerry that suits their lifestyle needs, but is also a sympathetic addition to the site and its old stone sheds and outhouses.

It’s more than just a house, it’s part of the family,’ enthuses Kate and her husband Shane, who live in this beautiful restored farmhouse, near Rathdrum, with their son Max, aged two and their two dogs Miko and Hendo. ‘It’s over 150 years old. The house has been in Shane’s family for generations, we took it on in 2018 when Shane’s parents decided to downsize,’ explains Kate. Shane’s parents had been living in the house right up to the time the couple moved in and over the years had worked very hard on its upkeep so it was extremely well maintained. In the ‘50s they had added several small extensions to the back of the house. ‘When we took over the house it was in great condition, often when people are renovating a house as old as this they need to replace the roof, re-plumb, re-wire, so we were lucky this wasn’t on our to do list,’ smiles Kate. ‘It was however very much designed for a different time. It had a series of small rooms with small windows so it felt dark a lot of the time,’ says Kate.

Read more in the March issue…