There is a fabulous range of buildings in Offaly from thatch cottages to castles, follies and mills. For information about architecture in County Offaly the best place to start is www.buildingsofireland.ie which is the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht website which profiles hundreds of buildings and you can search by area or building type or period. Another very good site is the Dept CHG archaeological site, which gives a lot of historical information and some of the protected structures are also on the Record of Monuments and Places. www.archaeology.ie click on Archaeological Survey database tab on the home page.
Useful publications
- Sources of Information for Built Vernacular Heritage – Government of Ireland (2024)
- Improving Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings, Guidance for Specifiers and Installers – Government of Ireland (2023)
- Traditional Architecture in Offaly: History, Material and Furniture, 1800 to Present Day – Rachel McKenna, County Architect, (2022)
- Public Engagement during Works to Traditional Buildings – Heritage Council, (2021)
- Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly – Andrew Tierney, Yale, (2019)
- Flights of Fancy, Follies, Families and Demesnes in Offaly – Rachel McKenna, Offaly County Council, (2017)
- Geashill, The Evolution of its Architecture – Rachel McKenna, Offaly County Council, (2012)
- Architectural Heritage Protection, guidelines for planning authorities – Goverment of Ireland, (2011)
- An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Offaly – Government of Ireland, (2006)
- Living Under Thatch, Vernacular Architecture in County Offaly – Barry O’Reilly, Mercier Press, (2004)
Shop Front Guidelines
Offaly County Council has developed guidance for shopfronts and signs. Download the Shopfront and Signs Guidance Leaflet pdf here.
Rural Design Guidelines for Offaly
To view the current design guidelines, follow the link for Designing Houses Creating Homes for Offaly. Published by Offaly County Council, 2008.
Useful weblinks
- Historic Environment Scotland has a list of Case studies.
- The RIAI – Working with an Older Building.
- In 2020 the RIAI and the Department developed a new guide regarding living and adapting older buildings – Old House New Home.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have published a series of advice booklets on thatch, roofs, ruins, windows, maintenance, bricks, places of worship, iron and energy efficiency. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
See also the Vernacular series of advice booklets.