We need to invest state money in preservation of Georgian houses

About a week ago, you wrote decrying the demise of our architectural heritage in the form of the continual deterioration of our Georgian country houses and buildings. 

There is a very good reason for this situation and it has to do with the cost of running and maintaining these structures.

1. They were built to be run and maintained by staff. Unless you are very rich today, that is not possible and the owners must do all that work themselves.

2. Very many of those houses were supported by their farms. Today, they may not have that land and the economics are not there to support that form of house, therefore, you better have a cheque book.

3. Most of those houses are listed as being of architectural interest to the State and, as such, they should be maintained and repaired in the style and quality that they were built. That is very expensive. Double glazed PVC windows may cost €400 but wooden sash windows cost €1,000.

4. Because replacement material and expert artisans are expensive, insurance can be 30-50% more than on a modern house.

5. A number of these houses are open to the public or operate as a B&B business but, unlike the UK, the market is small.

6. There can be small tax incentives for maintenance costs but they must be open to the public.

7. Commensurate with the country’s austerity measures, most grant systems are either dried up or so small that they are impossible to get.

8. European funding through the Leader programme is not available. Maura Walsh, Managing director of IRD Duhallow, recently attended a meeting of Irish Historic Houses Association (IHHA) in Cappoquin and informed the members that leader funding for that sort of architectural heritage was not available.

So, with high overheads and no help available from local or European level it is difficult to see how these architectural treasures can survive.

Liam MacFadden

Western Road

Cork