The Great House Revival: Sales professional and ballerina turn an old pub into dream home

Judith Caffrey and Paul McPhillips were on a bike trip when they spotted the potential of a disused pub in Drum, Co Monaghan

Sun, 17 Apr, 2022 - 22:30

Eve Kelliher

What’s particularly interesting about this episode of The Great House Revival is the sheer gritty realism.

There’s a happy ending in sight — but it’s a work-in-progress.

We meet Monaghan local Paul McPhillips and his former ballerina wife Judith Caffrey, from Co Offaly, as they start to show architect and host Hugh Wallace around their property — a former pub-general shop.

The couple, who feature in episode four of the RTÉ One series, bought Anderson's pub on the quiet main street of Drum, just miles from the border.

With a purchase price of just €42,000, they have a budget of of €170,000 to restore it as their home, while also planning to reinvigorate the village with a cafe and accommodation.

“It is clear that €170,000 is a tight a amount to turn this derelict building into a functioning home — especially as it’s a protected structure,” says Hugh.

But they do achieve part of their goal in they end — that of moving into their dream living space.

“The doors were falling off and you were doing your best to keep the birds out. It’s just sublime,” says Hugh.

But, as the architect notes, it was a “rough journey”.

The couple overshoot their original budget of €170,000.

“By the time we are finished the kitchen and everything we will break €200,000-€214,000,” says Paul.

But back to the beginning: There are holes in the floors, walls and ceilings as well as leaks everywhere, and the property is not even ready for them to start on the structural work.

Out back it it appears to be a completely different building, there are two storeys and a small street’s worth of outbuildings sloping downwards.

They plan to transform the barn into the kitchen and for the budget to work, dancer Judith and Paul, who works fulltime in the sales industry, need to do all the non-specialist building work themselves.

“My wife’s resilience and dedication and work ethic leaves mine and everyone else’s in the shade,” says Paul.

But Covid stoppages make progress painfully slow and they are forced to take on most of the manual labour themselves.

This building was constructed in the 1860s and the pub was opened in 1867, as a combination of pub and general store.

Once the hub of the local community, Anderson’s shut up shop in the 1990s and has been empty ever since.

The couple spotted the property on a bike ride.

“There’s just about enough space for the two of us,” says Judith.

The former business was the go-to for “everything from your boots to undertaking”, adds Paul.

“There’s a bit of everything going on inside as well,” he adds.

And it’s like stepping back in time, as Hugh quips, with pub bottles still in place in the bar.

The couple have a “limited budget and an endless to-to list” adds Hugh.

Several setbacks lengthen the build.

They have to prioritise stabilising the structure to keep the rain out, with work on the leaky building beginning in September 2020, after half a year of lockdown delays.

Once the roof slates off, contractor Robert notices a problem with the chimneys, which cost an unplanned €5,000, while other setbacks and lockdown delays means the couple cannot move in when they had planned.

By May 2021 they find they have had to tweak their plans for underfloor heating to avoid the huge job of underpinning the house which would have cost over €10,000.

“There are significant structural jobs yet to come all constrained by the limited budget,” adds Hugh.

But during the reveal, in March, Hugh is impressed.

“After 30 years under a blanket of dust and endless junk the buildings spacious proportions are revealed at last,” he says.

“Work is still in progress but you’ve broken the back of it.”

The open-plan living area features mantelpieces which are two scaffolding boards they cleaned up, adds Paul.

“With the budget well and truly used up they’ve improvised to great effect,” says Hugh.

The kitchen has yet to be finished.

“We moved in and will then get a sense of the place,” says Judith.

A wise move, agrees Hugh.

Days before the reveal, Judith and Paul's bedroom was accessible only by ladder.

Now it’s a sun-soaked spot where “quaint sash windows make for a sublime place to sleep”, says Hugh.

“You must pinch yourself.”

The roof lights and windows grab the views of rolling countryside.

The old bar was never part of their plans for this first phase of the restoration and their dreams of opening a café are on hold for now. “They already have a delightful home here,” says Hugh.