Irish Heritage Trust set to take over Fota House

THE Irish Heritage Trust (IHT) is expected to take over responsibility for historic Fota House in Co Cork within months.

The board of the new body, led by IHT trust chairman, Sir David Davies, met with members of the Fota Trust during an informal lunch at Fota House yesterday to update them on the process which if cleared, will secure the future of the house and keep its doors open to the public.

A spokesperson for the IHT said that sanction from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to take over Fota House is still awaited.

But sources close to the talks said they understand that the decision has been agreed in principal, is irreversible and all that is awaited is the paperwork.

When cleared by the department, Fota House will be the first acquisition by the IHT.

Established in July 2006 and planned as a self-sustaining organisation, the IHT has been given an initial three-year grant by the department.

It has been charged with the acquisition of properties of significant heritage value, “where there is a risk to such value”, and to provide the necessary conservation, maintenance and preservation of such properties.

The Fota Trust has applied to the department for assistance with the management of the property, which costs at least €200,000 a year to run.

The house has an annual insurance bill of almost €80,000.

The IHT also met with a range of Cork’s business and community leaders yesterday to discuss their plans.

The Fota Trust was established by University College Cork (UCC), represented by Prof Tom Raftery, Cork City Council and Cork County Council. It has managed the property for the last 14 years.

The extensive arboretum and gardens are in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Once the centrepiece of the Smith-Barry estate near Cobh, Co Cork, the house was recently partially restored by the OPW as part of a €4.5 million project.

Originally a hunting lodge, it was redesigned by Cork-born architect Sir Richard Morrison and his son Vitruvius in 1820 and was sold with the estate to UCC in 1975.

While in the hands of UCC, the house was restored as a small museum by Cork businessman Richard Wood, who hung his collection of Irish landscape paintings there until the sale of the property by the university.

The ownership of that art collection is now the subject of a separate legal battle.

Fota Wildlife Park is a separate entity managed by the Royal Zoological Society.

The IHT expects to acquire the garden in five years.

While there is a fee for entry to the house, the garden has been open to the public free of charge since before it was taken over by the OPW.