For more than two centuries, the familiar image of the Irish country house has been one of dishevelment and decay. However, in recent decades an alternative vision has come to the fore: one of rescue, restoration, and renewal. Historic houses across Ireland are being rediscovered and brought back to life as family homes. Join author and architectural historian Robert O’Byrne as he discusses some of these properties and tells the stories of their decline and recovery.

Robert O’Byrne is a writer and lecturer specializing in the fine and decorative arts and the author of more than a dozen books. A former vice president of the Irish Georgian Society, he is currently a trustee of a number of charitable organizations, including the Apollo Foundation and the Artists Collecting Society. For 14 years he wrote a monthly column for Apollo magazine; he has also contributed to The Burlington Magazine and the Irish Arts Review. Since 2012 he has written an award-winning blog, www.theirishaesthete.com; last year he produced a collection of his own photographs: The Irish Aesthete: Buildings of Ireland, Lost and Found. His most recent book is The Irish Country House: A New Vision, which was published by Rizzoli in 2024.