Great Irish Interiors
3 X 25mins Episodes
A three part renovation series with a twist
Moondance Prouductions have been granted exclusive access to follow a number of multi-million euro historical building restoration projects around the country, through the eyes of those spearheading the projects. Focusing on the race to return the interiors of these buildings to their former glory, we reveal fascinating and previously unseen work done by historical interiors experts as they source, beg, borrow and steal furniture, artwork and precious artefacts for their sites in time to open these stunning buildings to the public for the tourist season.
Each programme focuses on either private or publicly funded massive restoration projects such as Doneraile Court, Emo Court and Kylemore Abbey. We follow the Historical Interiors experts whose task it is make the inside of these buildings look like what they did in the height of their glory. With the Historical Interiors experts often just working from archives and very little photographic evidence, they have to be creative, but accurate. Great Irish Interiors will involve hitting the road with them and seeking out the furniture and interiors that once belonged to these houses, through auctions, online research, searching warehouses and appealing to local communities. These interiors experts will do whatever it takes to get their building to match up to the photographic evidence that remains.
Great Irish Interiors is a first for RTÉ One. There are a number of other shows that deal with renovations - bricks and mortar, but this series is unique as the focus is firmly on the interiors, it is all about the chase, sourcing the right artwork, paint and wallpaper, furniture and reclaiming special treasures that tell the story of these great houses.