Restoring The Past With Integrity

This beautifully revived 1820 country house overlooking the River Bandon in Cork is a lesson in sensitive period restoration. Today, it stands not only as a cherished family treasure but also as a home to be shared with visitors from around the world.

Belmont House carries centuries of history within its walls. Built between 1800 and 1820, it has passed down through generations of homeowner Stephen’s family, along with the working farm. Once a grand period-style home, it bustled with staff and farm workers until the 1970s. Stephen’s wife, Lia, recalls, ‘Up until the 1970s the family lived on the main floor and had two staff, a cook and a maid who lived downstairs. The farm workers would come into the kitchen downstairs every day for their breakfast and dinner so it was a very busy house.’ By the time Stephen inherited Belmont in 2023, it had been vacant for three years. ‘The house had deteriorated substantially,’ Lia explains. ‘The basement had sat idle for the last 30 years so it was very damp and run down. Upstairs in the main living area it was a bit better but there were issues with dampness and broken windows.’

Read more in the November issue…