{"id":561950,"date":"2026-07-22T05:04:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T05:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/561950\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T05:04:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T05:04:17","slug":"tour-drumhalla-house-its-new-portico-and-more-in-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/561950\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour Drumhalla House, its new portico and more, in Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Drumhalla House in County Donegal, Ireland<\/a>, has been an established event venue for decades, having originally opened back in 1990, and today it is a familiar and integral part of the community. Once arranged as three separate houses, the entire structure has, over the years, been reimagined as a single space, covering 626 sq m.<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

A new timber and brick portico add depth and character to Drumhalla House<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

Tour Drumhalla House, its new portico and architectural features<\/p>\n

Now, the venue has been expanded and overhauled, thanks to a 140 sq m extension created by Pasparakis Friel Architects<\/a>. The rural studio, based nearby in Rathmullan, was tasked with creating a stronger connection between the historic house, its impressive grounds, and the landscape beyond.<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The house is set within mature landscaped gardens<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

The most obvious architectural intervention is a new timber post and beam colonnade that flanks the garden fa\u00e7ade. Another colonnade structure serves as a new portico, a covered entrance beyond which is a grand reception area that serves as an orientation point for the various parts of the venue.<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The refurbished foyer with an artwork by Selena Mowat<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

According to the architects, \u2018the portico acts as a transitional space between the outdoors and the interior. From here, the house unfolds as a sequence of interconnected rooms designed for gathering and celebration: the drawing room alive with conversation, the bar softly illuminated in the evening, and the games room offering a more playful, animated retreat.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

The garden room is a more substantial intervention, a place for receptions and gatherings, beyond which is a dedicated wedding hall. The ground floor plan also accommodates important secluded spaces like a dressing room. Throughout the project, Pasparakis Friel has created a clear distinction between old and new, never relying on pastiche but also restoring and amplifying original features to create character and drama.<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

The lightweight glulam timber addition reads as a landscape pavilion <\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

This is best seen in the colour and material strategy, which switches between light tones for daytime-focused spaces like the Dressing Room and Drawing Room. These are contrasted with areas intended for use during the evening (like the Library and Games Room), where the palette becomes richer and deeper and more intimate.<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

Likewise, the new architectural interventions are sympathetically inserted into the historic fabric, with the addition of new glazed openings that are in keeping with the rhythm and pace of the fa\u00e7ade design as well as alignments to distant views. \u2018These additions amplify the theatre inherent in social gatherings, enhancing the drama of arrival, encounter, and celebration,\u2019 say the architects.<\/p>\n

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.<\/p>\n

\n

\"One\n<\/p>\n

One of the refurbished first floor bedrooms<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

The refurbishment also extended to Drumhalla\u2019s first-floor accommodation, where bedrooms have been given individual identities inspired by an overall sense of the Donegal landscape. Themes include Highlands, Coast, and Sky, tying in with the studio\u2019s sense of place, driven by its rural location and interaction with local materials, crafts and artists.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 2<\/p>\n

\"Views<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

\"Views<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

\"Views<\/p>\n

\"Views<\/p>\n

\u2018Whether restoring a historic building or designing a new home, we create spaces that feel grounded, thoughtful, and enduring,\u2019 Pasparakis Friel writes. \u2018Our architecture is quiet but purposeful \u2013 tactile, responsive, and attuned to landscape and life.\u2019 At Drumhalla House, these values are deployed to create a richly inviting space for the community and other visitors.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Drumhalla\n<\/p>\n

Drumhalla House, Donegal, by Pasparakis Friel<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Peter Molloy)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

PasparakisFriel.com<\/a>
DrumhallaHouse.ie<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Drumhalla House in County Donegal, Ireland, has been an established event venue for decades, having originally opened back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":561951,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-561950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/561951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}