National Built Heritage Service Traditional Skills Training July-September 2025

27 June 2025

The National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) has assembled a team of conservation experts and practitioners for a series of single- and two-day traditional skills training events aimed at owners and prospective owners of traditional buildings and contractors and professionals looking to upskill.

Attendance will greatly benefit owners working on traditionally-constructed buildings including those considering taking on the repair, reuse and retrofitting of a vacant traditional building.  The traditional skills training events will also give owners, and those contractors and professionals advising them, accurate and impartial conservation advice on the day-to-day maintenance of a traditional building.

Six more traditional skills training events will be added to the schedule in the coming months.  The events, which will take place in late Autumn, will cover the repair of drystone walls, the repair of historic roofs, the repair of thatched roofs, the use of lime mortars and more.

Date: 11 July

Title: “Taking on a Traditional House”: The Repair and Reuse of Vacant Traditional Buildings with the National Built Heritage Service

Aimed at: Homeowners, contractors and professionals (assigned certifier, planner or other related local authority and building professional)

Venue: National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Mayo, F23 HY31

Price: Free

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Date: 18-19 July

Title: Use of Traditional Lime Mortars (plasters and renders) with the Building Limes Forum Ireland (BLFI)

Aimed at: Experienced plasterers

Venue: Killoran House, Tipperary

Price: €140

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Date: 22 July

Title: Repair of Historic Joinery with Dr. Nessa Roche (NBHS) and John Shorley, conservation joiner

Aimed at: Homeowners, contractors and professionals (assigned certifier, planner or other related local authority and building professional)

Venue: Killoran House, Tipperary

Price: €70

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Date: 30-31 August

Title: Introduction to drystone walling with the Drystone Wall Association of Ireland (DSWAI)

Aimed at: Beginners and homeowners

Venue: Hollywood, Wicklow

Price: €100

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Date: 30-31 August

Title: “How to repair a mud walled building”: the use of earth mortars and hot lime with Tom Pollard, Noel O’Shaughnessy and Dr. Barry O’Reilly (NBHS)

Aimed at: Homeowners, contractors and professionals (assigned certifier, planner or other related local authority and building professional)

Venue: Pallasgreen, Limerick

Price: €140

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Date: 6 September

Title: Use of natural hydraulic lime (NHL) mortars with Dominic Keogh of Momento Mori Stonework

Aimed at: Beginners and homeowners

Venue: Strokestown House, Strokestown, Roscommon, F42 H282

Price: €70

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Date: 27-28 September

Title: “How to repair a mud walled building”: the use of earth mortars and hot lime with Tom Pollard, Noel O’Shaughnessy and Dr. Barry O’Reilly (NBHS)

Aimed at: Homeowners, contractors and professionals (assigned certifier, planner or other related local authority and building professional)

Venue: Pallasgreen, Limerick

Price: €140

For more information on the Traditional Skills Training, including information on how to book your place, download the National Built Heritage Service Traditional Skills Training July-September 2025 Brochure

The National Built Heritage Service and its partners reserve the right to change the programme.  Concession tickets for apprentices and students (over 18) are available for most events