Large turnout for public information evening on Emo Court

Emo Court summer cultural programme unveiled.

There was a large turnout at Emo Court on 7 May for a public information evening hosted by the Heritage Service of the OPW. The event, which took place in the main hall of Emo Court, was held in advance of the official opening of the first floor of the site on 26 May. The purpose of the meeting was to update the local community on developments at Emo Court and to solicit feedback from the local community and from the regular users of the site.

Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) and Flood Relief, said:

The House and the estate are undergoing extensive restoration work to the house fabric and the historic gardens, funded by a €1.2 million grant from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund of the Department of Rural and Community Development. On 26 May the newly restored first floor of the house will be officially opened to the public for the first time.

Ms Rosemary Collier, Director of the National Historic Properties Section of the Office of Public Works, opened the meeting and introduced the speakers.

Ms Collier said:

Ms Mary Heffernan, the general manager of the property, spoke to the assembled audience about the 26 May opening, the potential of the property and the plans for further restoration of the historic site.

Dr Judith Hill explained about future research projects regarding Emo relating to the Dawson-Damer family, the architectural history of the House, the Jesuits and Major Harrison.

Emo Court Head Gardener, Ms Valerie Cloonan, informed the meeting on the works to the estate and plantations. Reinstatement of the Wellingtonia Avenue from the original entrance of the estate to the great house is now complete and OPW is now restoring the walled garden to allow access to the public and to provide a venue for al fresco events.

Conservator Joanne Bannon talked through the scale of the restoration process, the expertise involved and overall plans to upgrade the house to meet museum standards, giving scope for enriching and enlivening the Collection at Emo Court through loans from national and international institutions.

The public also heard about the extensive cultural programme of events to be held at Emo Court across Summer 2019 (detailed below). This programme will ensure that Emo Court is a destination venue for visitors both local and from further afield.

Emo Court will be open to the public from Monday, 27 May 2019.

For further information about Emo Court, contact The House at 057 8626573 or emocourt@opw.ie

ENDS

Emo Court is a Gandon-designed country house set in approximately 250 acres of park and agricultural land and has been in State ownership since 1995, when then Irish President Mary Robinson accepted the property on behalf of the State from Major Cholmeley Harrison.

Since the handover to the State several conservation and development works have been completed. The Estate comprises formal gardens, walking trails, a 20-acre manmade lake, mixed woodlands, meadows, and the Chomeley Harrison Arboretum. The Dower House has been conserved and a Tearoom installed within with a gift shop available year-round for visitors.

The grounds are among the most spectacular designed landscapes in the midlands and the beautiful lake and woodland trails are already very popular with local people. Over 300,000 people use the estate each year. However fewer than 20,000 people visit the house and the aim of this initiative is to increase this number substantially.

Emo Court Summer Cultural Programme

• Sunday 9 June | 3pm | The Dining Room | Free, but ticketed

DAVID HICKS - 'COUNT JOHN McCORMACK and MOORE ABBEY, CO. KILDARE'

• Sunday 23 June 2019 | 7.30pm | Entrance Hall | €15; family ticket €50 (4)

THE COUNT: THE MUSIC OF JOHN McCORMACK WITH CELTIC TENOR MATTHEW GILSENAN

• Thursday 11 July | 7.30pm | The Walled Garden | Tickets via Chapterhouse website

CHAPTERHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY presents ‘WUTHERING HEIGHTS’

• Sunday 14 July 2019 | 3pm | The Dining Room | Free, but ticketed

TURTLE BUNBURY - ‘REFUGEES, MIDWIFES and ENGINEERS IN 18th CENTURY IRELAND’

• Friday 19 July 2019 | 7.30pm | Entrance Hall | Free, but ticketed

“GROUND OUT” by IAN WILSON featuring TRÍONA MARSHALL (harp; The Chieftains) and DUŠICA MLADENOVIĆ (violin, from Serbia) - a LAOIS COUNTY COUNCIL COMMISSION

• Saturday 27 July 2019 | 7.30pm | The Dining Room

POETRY IRELAND RECITAL presented by OLIVIA O’LEARY

• Sunday 28 July 2019 | 7.30pm | Entrance Hall | €15 / €50 family ticket (4)

NAVÁ

• Sunday 11 August 2019 | 3pm | The Dining Room | Free, but ticketed

ROBERT O’BYRNE - ‘LADY CAROLINE DAWSON: AN 18th CENTURY COUNTRY HOUSE GUEST’

• Wednesday 21 August 2019 | 3pm | The Dining Room | Free, but ticketed

JOHN STOCKS POWELL - ‘THE FIRST EARL OF PORTARLINGTON: A MAN AND HIS ART AT EMO’

• Sunday 25 August 2019 | 7.30pm | Entrance Hall | €15 / €50 family ticket (4)

REDMOND O’TOOLE (8-STRING BRAHMS GUITAR)

• Sunday 8 September 2019 | 3pm | Entrance Hall | €10 per child, accompanying adults free

CHILDREN’S CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP - an INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY presentation with DEBBIE THOMAS

• Sunday 15 September 2019 | Entrance Hall | 7.30pm | €15; €50 family ticket (4)

ANIME VIOLIN TRIO

• Sunday 22 September 2019 | 7.30pm | Entrance Hall | €15; €50 family ticket (4)

JOHN WALSH (flamenco guitar) and GUESTS

Exhibitions

• Exhibition #1

OLIVER SEARS GALLERY EXHIBITION

IN LIVING MEMORY - AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY STILL LIFE

• Exhibition #2

EMO COURT: AN EXHIBITION OF ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS

• Exhibition #3

BOTANICAL - Works on paper by botanical artist Mary Dillon

• Exhibition #4

FATHER BROWNE EXHIBITION