Historic No. 11 Parnell Square transformed by McCullough Mulvin Architects into Ireland’s Home for Poetry and Heritage
President of Ireland Catherine Connolly, on 7 May 2026, officially opened the Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann and the Irish Heritage Trust / Iontaobhas Oidhreachta na héireann, a conservation-led project by McCullough Mulvin Architects. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of Ireland, James Browne TD, also attended the event.
This landmark €5.5 million conservation and restoration programme was completed in March and was made possible by funds (€3.9m) received from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) under Project Ireland 2040. A further €1.55m was secured for the project by The Irish Heritage Trust and Poetry Ireland from philanthropy and other sources.
This major milestone in the development of Parnell Square’s cultural quarter marks the completion of the conservation-led refurbishment, led by McCullough Mulvin Architects. It breathes new life into an iconic Georgian building with over 300 years of history, from its genteel beginnings to periods of political unrest and shifting patterns of urban life.
Working in partnership, the Irish Heritage Trust and Poetry Ireland have successfully overseen the conservation of this historic building, which commenced in 2024, creating a vibrant shared headquarters alongside the Irish Landmark Trust. Showcasing architectural beauty, national history and innovative sustainability, No. 11’s revival offers a compelling narrative that reflects this rich civic heritage and now enters a new chapter with renewed purpose supporting the arts, heritage engagement and organisational collaboration.
The restoration showcases the substantial conservation of the Georgian façade, the preservation of the historically significant timber-lined Council Chamber, alongside the restoration of original parquet floors. The first floor will house The Seamus Heaney Poetry Library, encompassing the late Laureate’s private collection from his study, kindly bequeathed by his family to Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann. The poetry library will also house additional collections such as the Austin Clarke Poetry Collection and a fine contemporary poetry library amassed over the past fifty years. This library will be a space for reading and imagination, for all readers to use as a tool to study, create, and connect with poetry in Ireland.
Speaking at the opening of No. 11 Parnell Square, Uachtarán na hÉireann, President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly said:
“It is an honour to officially open Number 11 Parnell Square as it becomes Ireland’s home for poetry and heritage.
As President of Ireland, I warmly welcome the new life which the Irish Heritage Trust and Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann will breathe into this beautifully restored Georgian building, one which already holds almost three centuries of history.
Arts and cultural organisations have so often in the past been marginalised and forced into peripheral and sometimes inaccessible spaces. I am particularly pleased that the newly restored building will over the decades to come be an inclusive space where local communities are welcomed, where stories are shared, and where our past and heritage are woven thoughtfully into the present and the future.”
Key works included full replacement of the roof, conservation of the Georgian front façade with repointing using appropriate heritage techniques. The project, which was completed within the €5.5m budget, also addressed the building’s structural, safety, accessibility and conservation needs and fire-safety upgrades, incorporating alternative design solutions approved for protected structures.
Accessibility improvements included the installation of a lift, an external platform lift, and compliance-focused circulation routes and facilities, ensuring that this three-hundred-year-old building is accessible to all.
Under the Government’s ‘Per Cent for Art’ scheme, a commissioned artwork, "Infinity Loops" by Méadhbh O’Connor, has been installed in the building’s main hall. The piece was commissioned to signpost this new phase of the building’s life, recapitulating and restating its cultural as well as physical history.
Energy efficiency measures were implemented to achieve an impressive A3 Building Energy Rating. Measures included mineral wool insulation, LED lighting, improved glazing, and a bivalent heating system. These sensitive interventions provide a sustainable model for this important building on Parnell Square, ensuring that the building’s protected structures are retained while maintaining the unique historical integrity.
This sensitive approach was particularly important in the historically significant first-floor Council Chamber, where achieving the required level of fire protection without compromising the original one-hundred-year-old parquet floor involved significant research and the careful development of an appropriate technical solution.
About Irish Heritage Trust
The Irish Heritage Trust CLG is an independent non-profit organisation, dedicated to conserving and promoting Ireland’s cultural heritage and celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026. The Trust conserves, cares for, and brings to life historic houses, gardens, and collections, ensuring they are preserved for current and future generations. The Trust also works closely with local communities, volunteers, and partners to bring history to life through events, storytelling, and education. Over the years, the Irish Heritage Trust has developed a shared authority approach to caring for and managing these prestigious houses and gardens. It actively engages with strategic partners, both private and public bodies, in undertaking its work.
The Irish Heritage Trust is now a leading national organisation with four landmark heritage properties currently in its care: Johnstown Castle Estate Museum & Gardens, Wexford; 11 Parnell Square, Dublin, where the Trust is headquartered; Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens, Cork; and Strokestown Park & The National Famine Museum, Roscommon. In the coming years, a new museum on Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin, will open under the care of the Irish Heritage Trust, in partnership with ESB. www.irishheritagetrust.ie
About Poetry Ireland
Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann is the all-island resource organisation for the promotion and development of Irish poetry at home and abroad, established in 1978. The mission of Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann is to connect people and poetry. Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann is a unique and crucial part of the national and international cultural infrastructure for poetry, the art form for which Ireland is world-renowned. Poetry Ireland’s objective is to achieve excellence in the reading, writing and performance of poetry. Its current work comprises poetry engagement & education, poetry publication and presentation of live readings and literature events. Poetry Ireland is proudly funded by The Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and through The Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Funding. www.poetryireland.ie
About the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund
The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) aims to deliver more compact and sustainable development, as envisaged under Project Ireland 2040. It does this by part-funding regeneration and rejuvenation projects in Ireland’s five cities and other large towns. The URDF programme is now renamed as the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund. Over its planned duration up to 2030, the Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund of €2.5 billion, is being targeted in an integrated, dynamic and responsive way to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s urban areas.