N Scale Ballywillan, Co Longford.

[Patrick Davey]

Masterpiece!

[Kevin Sweeney]

This is the state of play with my next exhibition titled "The Irish House, 900 to 2026", I have set a deadline of October 1st to have it ready. I'm a bit more than half way there, as I'm planning to have 30 models, from a ring fort to a modern mansion.

The bottom photo shows the development of rural working class housing from 1600 to 1990.

[Camas]

10 minutes ago, Kevin Sweeney said:

This is the state of play with my next exhibition titled "The Irish House, 900 to 2026", I have set a deadline of October 1st to have it ready. I'm a bit more than half way there, as I'm planning to have 30 models, from a ring fort to a modern mansion.

The bottom photo shows the development of rural working class housing from 1600 to 1990.

Really impressive display. Best of success with your exhibition. Looking at your rural housing progression, that book 'Bungalow Bliss' by Jack Fitzsimons comes to mind as a useful resource. 

[Kevin Sweeney]

52 minutes ago, Camas said:

Really impressive display. Best of success with your exhibition. Looking at your rural housing progression, that book 'Bungalow Bliss' by Jack Fitzsimons comes to mind as a useful resource. 

I often think Jack Fitzsimons and Richard Lovett Pearse were the two most influential architects in irish histoy. Fitzsimons stated the bungalow revolution and Lovett Pearse the Palladian revolution. Lovett Pearse designed among others, Castletown House, 9 and 10 Henrietta Street, the Houses of Parliament on College Green and Bellamont House. Lovett Pearse definetly wins on aesthetics. 

[Kevin Sweeney]

Navan Station is installed on the customers layout.

[Kevin Sweeney]

A quick little modelling project, certainly simple compared to Navan Station. A Congested Districts Board cottage. Would be a suitable model for a west of ireland layout.

[jhb171achill]

On 2/5/2026 at 12:23 PM, Kevin Sweeney said:

I often think Jack Fitzsimons and Richard Lovett Pearse were the two most influential architects in irish histoy. Fitzsimons stated the bungalow revolution and Lovett Pearse the Palladian revolution. Lovett Pearse designed among others, Castletown House, 9 and 10 Henrietta Street, the Houses of Parliament on College Green and Bellamont House. Lovett Pearse definetly wins on aesthetics. 

Totally agree. He also built Seafield House, Donabate, though what is there today was substantially added to in the 1880s. In original style, a perfect example of Palladian symmetry, and a light-filled house as he had windows at the back facing the ornamental gardens when you walked in through the hall door.

Would you consider a standard Land Commission  / "Gaeltacht" 1920s house in 00 scale?

On 5/5/2026 at 6:57 PM, Kevin Sweeney said:

Navan Station is installed on the customers layout.

GNR paint scheme on the doors, by the look of it!

Edited Tuesday at 16:10 by jhb171achill

[Mol_PMB]

2 hours ago, Kevin Sweeney said:

A quick little modelling project, certainly simple compared to Navan Station. A Congested Districts Board cottage. Would be a suitable model for a west of ireland layout.

That's a lovely model, and thanks for sharing the drawing which I'm sure will inspire others to build one too. In fact it would be quite easy to produce a laser-cut kit for the standard design.

A quick google found some photos of these in the NLI archive:

Holdings: [House of Mrs Bridget Kelly, Lisvalley Vesey, near Tuam, Co. Galway] :: Library Catalog

Holdings: [House and grass farm of Michael Turner in the townland of Cloonmoyle, Co.Galway] :: Library Catalog

Holdings: [Mrs Philban's house and farm, Ballymacragh, Co.Mayo, one of the first to be purchased by the Congested Districts Board in Mayo] :: Library Catalog

Holdings: [New dwelling house in Monivea, Co.Galway] :: Library Catalog

Interestingly, at first glance they don't look that much better than what they were supposed to be replacing:

Holdings: [Two cottages in Newtown village, Castlebar district, Co.Mayo] :: Library Catalog

Holdings: [View of a house in Graigue, Co.Galway that is to be improved by the tennant with the aid of a Congested Districts Board grant] :: Library Catalog

Holdings: [View of congested village of Graigue, Co.Galway, from where migrants were taken to holdings in Graigueachuillaire] :: Library Catalog

 

Many thanks again for the inspiration!

[Kevin Sweeney]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

Totally agree. He also built Seafield House, Donabate, though what is there today was substantially added to in the 1880s. In original style, a perfect example of Palladian symmetry, and a light-filled house as he had windows at the back facing the ornamental gardens when you walked in through the hall door.

Would you consider a standard Land Commission  / "Gaeltacht" 1920s house in 00 scale?

GNR paint scheme on the doors, by the look of it!

I'm planning on a doing a land commission house at some stage.

[Kevin Sweeney]

Getting close to a finish with this model. It's Carnalway Glebe House, which is near Newbridge, in Co KIldare. It's a tudor revival house built in the 1870s, with a well executed late 20th century extention on the rear.