In 2019 Tullamore woman Hazel Keegan was living in the UK, with tentative plans to return to live in Ireland. Part of the plan was to take a break and work for a ski season in the Swiss Alps – but then Covid hit and her return to Ireland was brought forward.
Another change in her plans was that instead of moving to “somewhere near mountains”, she ended up back home in Tullamore, a move which, she says “changed the course of my life”.
Central to that significant change, was the home of her grandparents which had lain empty since 2008 after the death of her grandmother. The listed house, which was built between 1836 and 1838, is in the middle of what was originally known as Victoria Terrace, on O’Moore Street in Tullamore town centre. The terrace of seven houses was built by a printer called Richard Willis under a lease granted by the earls of Charleville for 99 years from March 25th, 1838 at £21 per year or £3 ground rent for each house.
Keegan’s grandparents bought the house in the late 1940s; after their deaths it was maintained by her aunt and uncle who visited frequently and kept it heated and aired to ensure it did not fall into disrepair.
“Since I was a child I’ve always loved this house and visiting my grandparents. Nana and Papa moved here in 1949 and raised their seven children in this three-bedroom house. All my memories of my grandparents and this house are so positive,” says Keegan.
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However, when an aunt wondered in mid-2020 if she might like to consider buying and living in it, she admits that “wasn’t even on my radar”.
“But then it percolated for a few weeks and it started to coalesce as an idea with real potential. Cost [of renovation] was the main concern really, as the quotes I was getting were very high and only getting higher due to the change in price in construction around that time.”
She persevered, however, and in December 2020, after having bought out other family members, the house was officially hers and planning began in earnest. Renovations commenced in May 2023 and concluded in July 2024, when she was left with “a blank canvas” to decorate.
Vacant home grant
“I worked with Frank Murray, a local architect, as he’s familiar with working with listed buildings and getting the best out of them while protecting the house itself,” says Keegan. “I wanted to modernise the house in a sympathetic way to the historic nature of the building. My primary concern was always the comfort of the house but also its energy efficiency.
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“For me, tradition and heritage should be protected and embraced, but not of the cost of warmth and comfort. So Frank helped me pull together some plans that would introduce more natural light into the house, as it’s a north-facing property, and looking at how we could best insulate yet protect such an old structure.”
Keegan says she was very lucky to be able to apply for the vacant home grant from Offaly County Council, which saved her from having to forgo some features. She also worked with the SEAI to get the house from the lowest Ber rating up to an A2, which, she says, makes sitting in the house now “so comfortable and cosy”.
Planning restrictions were an immediate issue, with strict guidelines from Offaly County Council on the protection of the heritage property. Keegan explains that one of her early plans was to add an en suite bathroom to the bedroom at the front of the house, facing the street.
“That was turned down by the council due to the significant changes that would be needed to the plumbing, which would alter the shape of the bedroom.”
In fact the layout of the house now is very similar to what it was before, with a very minor extension to the back bathroom, which made the layout much easier to fit everything.
“What was a major win was the council allowing me to put an opening in the wall between the sittingroom and the kitchen allowing a lot more natural light into the dark north-facing sittingroom. Unfortunately, the house didn’t have a huge number of original features like shutters or ceiling roses, but it did have a few, including the staircase and cast-iron fireplace, which I’ve kept just as they were (even if it’s not a working hearth).
Keegan also made the decision to bring back rise-and-fall sash windows, even though they’re way more expensive than standard windows.
“The house was crying out for them so I just had to bite the bullet and do it and I’m really so glad I did,” she says.
Keegan found the house easy to decorate – with the exception of the sittingroom.
“It was too difficult for me to visualise where everything would fit because the room actually isn’t that large, so I was delighted to work with Veronica Moran Interiors and she encouraged me to be bold with the colours and decor of the room and I absolutely love it now. It’s definitely one of my favourite rooms, but the kitchen is also a favourite as it features the original dining table that belonged to my grandparents.”
The outdoors space is also a big attraction.
“I’m an outdoorsy person so one of my favourite things about this house is the beautiful long elevated garden. It’s an urban oasis, even if it looks a little wild at the moment.”
The biggest headache with the renovation was “unquestionably the fact” that there was nowhere for construction vehicles to park – as it’s a main street – and no way for large construction vehicles to get around the back for demolition.
“So all the debris and heavy construction materials had to be carried through by hand or on small vehicles, which of course increased the cost.”
Echoes of the past
The renovation also threw up some unusual discoveries, including a door into the neighbour’s house in a bedroom.
“I’d heard stories from my grandmother that it was there, but she’d never seen it herself. So, when the wall was being renovated it was uncovered. It was amazing as we knew that the door hadn’t been touched or seen in 70 years. I’ve left it in situ and covered it up so it can be found again in another hundred years.”
Another quirk found is the etching Keegan discovered on two of the internal doors made by Nat Lowe, who left his mark by inscribing “N Lowe 22nd May 1841″ on it.
“Originally I had spent days stripping the doors myself, but there were just too many layers of paint so I got a Dublin company to strip them and I couldn’t believe my eyes when the ‘graffiti’ was uncovered. ‘John The Boy’ is written in beautiful writing in pencil and the other side of that door has John Mulherns or Mulhens; it’s difficult to read. I checked the census but unfortunately couldn’t find anyone by that name around the 1840s. But I just love this connection to the past being visible on the door today.”
Biggest win
“The biggest gain is the warmth and comfort of the house now. One of the things I’m most looking forward to is being able to tend the garden and start to grow some veggies again.”
Biggest regret
“The heat pump; it’s extremely loud and I’m struggling not to go nuts with the decibel level.”
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