The Great House Revival: See how Knocknagoshel man made his dream home a reality

Kieran is beguiled by the fact that, although his home is almost now complete to his satisfaction (you can watch its progress on The Great House Revival on RTÉ One on Sunday, March 30, and on RTÉ Player), as was the case in generations gone by, there is (as yet) no TV in situ. Talking to Irish Examiner Home from the kitchen, he describes the surroundings: “Inside the house now there’s no straight walls or hard edges, it’s very kind of organic and it’s very warm,” he says.

“And I’ve the phone on the windowsill — there’s zero [mobile phone] coverage. If we’re all in here, in the kitchen, all the phones are on the windowsill, but that’s good too — it means you engage more in conversation.”

Kieran has repointed the cottage with lime mortar. “All these houses were coated in cement, and we know now, after 30 years, that lime mortar is the way to go,” he says. “The rendering also uses lime mortar. The work aligns with what I stand for.” But this whole project aligns with what Kieran “stands for”, he adds. “I believe in reviving rural Ireland,” he says. 

"Even if you look up my road, there are at least 10 houses that are vacant from here to the village. If those 10 houses were brought back into use, we could bring back the school teacher we lost, we could reopen the shop and the pub and bring back GAA numbers. 

"And if all of that is not enough to justify it, I think, just looking at the current demographics, Kerry football could be in big trouble in 10 years’ time.”

Kieran, an engineer, moved back to his native Knocknagoshel after living in Germany and the Netherlands.

In a village that has seen some decline, Kieran’s dedication to reviving this old home represents a wider hope shared by his friends to bring some renewed energy to Knocknagoshel.

Rebuilding this cottage engaged the entire community in the spirit of “meitheal” over the past two years.

The traditional stone cottage had lain empty since his grandmother passed away 13 years ago, and Kieran wanted to renovate the house as authentically as possible.

Having little building experience, Kieran tackled this project for the most part on his own, though he could rely on a close band of family and friends to help when needed.

Community, family and friends are hugely important to Kieran. He has witnessed firsthand the effects of an aging population and emigration on his community.

The shops and pubs on the main street have closed down, and the school and GAA team are struggling to keep up numbers.

Kieran is part of an active group that gathered to draw up a community plan for the area over the past year. “We want to attract new people, new families,” he says. “It’s great to travel, but there are people here who are aged 35 and going away for five or 10 years, so you’re losing a generation of young families.”

Kieran is chairperson of the local tidy towns group and also involved in the Knocknagoshel Halloween celebrations. “It would be wonderful if there were more incentives for people to come back. There is fantastic community spirit here — local businesses and anyone living around the village have been very supportive, and so many people were offering me help. I’ll be honest, I only accepted half of it.” Kieran’s brothers and father were key to the build, as were friends and cousins.

“I’d worked with a traditional builder before, in Listowel in Kerry in 2022, and one of those projects was a 300-year-old house made of mud, which was very cool, all with natural materials — so that definitely inspired me and led me in this direction,” he says. “But a lot of it is about having confidence and self-belief.”

He is hoping to go into the business of training others in the craft. Kieran wanted to “get stuck in” with the build after returning from the Netherlands. “I had a few bob saved up, and working on the cottage was always on my mind. Historically, this cottage was our neighbour’s farm, owned by a family called the Nolans. 

The Cotters, my family, and the Nolans have been neighbours going back to the 1800s.” When the Nolans were selling the farm in the 1990s, Kieran’s dad, Richard, bought it. “My parents and my three brothers were living in the small cottage — then I was born,” says Kieran.

“I was the straw that broke the camel’s back — six people in a small cottage? My grandparents were living in the ‘home house’, a short walk over from our farm, so it was decided that my parents and my grandparents would swap houses. My grandmother lived here in this cottage until 2008 or 2009.”

Sadly, the house fell into disrepair in recent years. Now that it’s been renewed, what is his favourite spot? “The fireplace. I’m mad about the fireplace. We’ve no telly in the house, so the fireplace is really like another person in the room,” he says. 

The house is split into four parts, and Kieran has finished the open-plan kitchen/living area, bathroom, bedroom and a sleeping area under the eaves. A workshop where he plans to teach his lime-rendering skills is also to be completed. “I don’t want to stop here; I want to help other people renovate other buildings,” he says.

The Nolans, who were the previous owners of the cottage, were a well-known family in Castleisland and Knocknagoshel, he adds. “They started a construction company in London, Toureen — named after the townland Toureenard.” 

During the show, Kieran spoke to a family member now living in England, Sr Teresa Nolan, 96: “She grew up in the house and it was amazing to hear her recall her experience. I’m looking out into the small shed where they kept the pony and trap, and that’s how they went to Mass. The layout of the house is more or less the same as they had it was then.”

Work on his house will have cost Kieran around €30,000 or €35,000 estimates architect and presenter of The Great House Revival Hugh Wallace, factoring in the €70,000 Kieran will get back via the vacant property grant.

• The Great House Revival, 9.30pm, Sunday, March 30, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
• Instagram @Cotters_Cottage