The Irish Heritage Trust hopes Fota House will be the first in a long line of great Irish houses that it rescues, writes Brian O'Connell

There's something about getting off the train at Fota Island that lends itself to a scene from The Island of Dr Moreau, or Jurassic Park even. Man-made railway banks serve to highlight an almost artificial dislocation from the outside world, while at Fota Station itself, there's little sense you've just landed at a bustling tourist attraction. High fences and overgrown foliage conceal the island's wares, as day-trippers and local workers make their way through the rusting turnstiles in the direction of the wildlife park entrance.

It's only then that the tourist scene reveals itself, with information points, parked coaches and tour guides densely populating this part of the Fota Estate. Yet, 10 minutes' stroll away in Fota House, is an altogether more sheltered and sedate life. Where once guests played billiards and sunned themselves in the original conservatory, a cafe now exists offering fruit teas and carrot cake.

In contrast to the wildlife park, few tourists roam the interiors, and, for the 10,000 individuals who do visit each year, the entire upstairs portion of this fine 18th-century regency-style building is out of bounds. However, all that may be about to change.

There is a growing consensus that Fota House will become the first historic Irish building to come under the stewardship of the Irish Heritage Trust - an organisation set up in 2006 to preserve properties of historic and cultural significance. Plans have been submitted to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and, all going well, the handover is expected to happen in early autumn.

Should it go ahead, the takeover will represent a significant statement from the trust, which has faced accusations of lacking the clout or the cash, to fulfil its mandate adequately. It also offers hope for some of Ireland's other historic properties currently in need of repair and restoration.

For Fota Trust company chairman David Bird, the interest of the Irish Heritage Trust is welcome in a house that has had a somewhat troubled history of late. His hope is that with necessary funding and further restoration, the house will fulfil its tourist potential and a new chapter in its history will emerge.

SO WHAT HAVE the trust, and the taxpayer, gotten for their money? Well, from the intricate ox head and grape plasterwork of the hallways, to the cleverly columned dining room, Fota House is an architecturally significant building of the first order.

The stunningly symmetrical Long Gallery or the modest watercolour room, which allows us our first glimpse of the gardens, all serve as tasty appetisers for the pièce de résistance - the turquoise-walled drawing room. It was here that a portion of the intricate ceiling, designed by Sibthorpe of Dublin in the 1890s, collapsed, leading to a full restoration of the downstairs by 2002. It's impossible nowadays to see where the repair was made and the room has regained its stature as one of the finest drawing rooms in the country.

Yet, for all the splendour and breathtaking detail of downstairs, the upper part of Fota House resembles something akin to a massacre, with peeling wallpaper, loose floorboards and broken furniture still dominant. For David Bird, it's a heartbreaking sight and one that he hopes may be about to change. "We have a totally different situation upstairs," he says.

"While it is basically sound, it hasn't been decorated and the public are not able to access here. It would be marvellous to have rooms here restored, to be viewed or act as exhibition or office space." Bird has overseen the partial restoration of the house, and now welcomes the interest from the trust.

"In terms of the Irish Heritage Trust taking over Fota House, this is absolutely the right thing to happen. Fota is such a valuable asset; it has to be taken in charge by the State or an agent of the State. It has such tremendous potential but it needs funding and the Irish Heritage Trust are prepared to put funding into this. At the end of the day the return will be a magnificent cultural addition of huge benefit to the area and country."

For Fota and many other Irish houses open to the public, changes in tourism are forcing the buildings to adapt significantly in order to turn a buck. Many are staging public events, from music festivals to poetry readings, weddings to business conferences, becoming multi-use properties rather than roped-off historic dolls' houses.

"A house like this has to constantly change," says Bird. "It cannot remain static. It would seem that houses that are staid and roped-off, with people walking through on a set course on guided tours, are not as popular as they used to be. Nowadays, houses need to be flexible and open to many uses, and, with further restoration and investment here, Fota should be able to do the same."

Bird expects the handover to take place in the coming months with full control of Fota House given to the Irish Heritage Trust by the end of the year. He says the move represents a bold statement of intent on the Trust's part and is confident of their ability to take charge of Fota.

"The Irish Heritage Trust have employed all the best experts in the field in all their dealings and I have been very impressed with their work to date," he says. "They work fast and professionally. While I don't think they can ever be the same as the National Trust in the UK, they probably don't want to be. From the point of view of Ireland's heritage as a whole and a house like this, their establishment and engagement is not before time."

While the Heritage Trust is slow to confirm its imminent takeover for fear of jinxing the plans, chief executive Kevin Baird is excited about the work ahead as he tries to protect vital areas of our national heritage. Launched in July 2006, the Trust has been guaranteed a tax relief of up to €6 million per year.

As well as this, it is expected to raise commercial sponsorship to take on other buildings and transform their uses.

"We believe we have a second property ready to go if we can secure the finance and donations to make it possible," says Baird. "The difficulty is finding the finance but we believe the investment is worth it for so many different reasons."

THE TROUBLE WITH heritage, Baird asserts, is that once it's gone, it's gone. "You get one chance, and if stuff is lost, you can't get it back. Our main priority is securing projects and properties, and then trying to raise the finance to open them up, and have them open for everyone, whoever that might be and whatever way they might want to use these properties."

Baird admits that the Irish Heritage Trust faces a demanding task during the months and years ahead, especially if the Irish economy faces a less positive future. Tax breaks available mean that families or individuals donating their properties to the trust do so without financial penalties. Donations of cash, though, are taxed, which is something Baird would like to see reviewed.

"As it stands, the tax credit only applies to donations of property. I would like it to extend to allow us cover cash donations towards the property," says Baird, "because at the moment, if I'm chasing with my begging bowl and I go to someone, there is no edge or extra financial incentive that makes it attractive to hand that money over. I'd like [ to] lobby for a broader definition of donations."

As for comparisons with the National Trust in the UK, Baird is quick to point out that the British equivalent has had a 125-year head start.

"We have an interesting task because there are high expectations of what we are going to do. There are several buildings in serious peril. I would love for us to be in a robust enough financial position to compile a hit list and go and try and do something about them. But we're going to work hard to work towards that position. Some very precious heritage jewels have slipped through our fingers as a nation, and I for one don't want us to lose out again."

For full details on Fota House, see www.fotahouse.comor tel: 021-4815543

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