Jeremy and Sybil Emmet-Booth will speak to members of the Irish Georgian Society in Dublin this February about their journey restoring Knockelly Castle.

Titled Knockelly Castle: Past, Present and Future, the talk explores the layered history of the site, the practical realities of conserving an historic building, and the Emmet-Booths’ approach to learning and applying traditional building skills as part of an active conservation project. It also looks ahead to how Knockelly is being shaped as a sustainable, lived-in place with a long-term future.

The talk takes place on 11 February 2026 at 6pm and will be held both in person at the City Assembly House, Dublin and online via Zoom.

We are delighted to launch our 2026 conservation workshop series, with “Lime Mortars for Beginners” being held on March 28th. Workshops will cover a range of traditional building skills this year, with courses geared towards both beginners and advanced practitioners. We will also offer an exciting series of environmental conservation and stone cutting workshops taking place throughout summer.

Gatehouse - South Façade

The gatehouse incorporates a medieval gatetower (the former entrance into the Bawn), an 18th century wing to the north and 1830’s additions to the West, giving the building its current Regency appearance. Work to the South façade commenced in early 2024, with the removal of a 1950's concrete porch, the replacement of oak lintels, the repair and re-pointing of masonry with a hot-mix lime mortar and the final instalment of new sash windows. Window reveals have yet to be finalised and the entire elevation requires rendering.

As part of National Heritage Week, Knockelly Castle will open for two guided tours on Tuesday, 19th August at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

Explore the history of the 15th-century tower house and bawn walls, and the restoration of the Gate House led by Jeremy Emmet-Booth. Followed by a biodiversity walk through the meadows with ecologist Mieke Muyllaert and an interactive stone cutting demonstration with Julia Gebel.

Margaret Quinlan Architects, in association with David Kelly Partnership, led a thorough survey of Knockelly. The survey, kindly funded by National Monuments, included an assessment the archaeological and ecological aspects, generating detailed plans and virtual 3D models, as well as determining the current structural state of the built infrastructure and the steps necessary to preserve it. Results and conclusions are crucial in guiding future works. Use the link below to access the interactive 3D model of the tower house by Tír3D.