29.09.2026, 18:00 P.M.
Conjuring up the past: curating Irish houses 1983-2026 by Christopher Moore, independent historic house curator and interiors specialist.
This first introductory talk of the Curating the Irish Country House series, is delivered by Christopher Moore. Former IGS director, director and chairman the Castletown Foundation, currently an Apollo Foundation trustee: Christopher has been involved in the presentation and curating of historic buildings since 1983. Curating historic houses presents different challenges: in this overview of nine Irish projects, the inherent predicaments are discussed - conservation challenges, collection acquisition, curatorial fashions and the requirement to respect a building's layered history and patina of use.
Biography: After studying History of Art in Trinity College Dublin, Christopher Moore was curator of Castletown 1983-6 and then Assistant Historic Buildings Representative in Northern Ireland, 1987-89. From 1990 to 2013, he worked as a specialist decorator, mainly on historic building projects in Ireland and the UK, attempting to replicate traditional finishes and to create atmospheric interiors. From 2018 - he has worked with the OPW advising on the historic fit out of Doneraile Court, Kilkenny Castle, Ormond Castle and Damer House. In 2000 he joined the board of the Castletown Foundation, where he was particularly concerned with the conservation of the contents and interiors, and from 2013-2018 he was Chairman of the Foundation. He served a term as a board member of the Irish Georgian Foundation and is currently a trustee of the Apollo Foundation.
This one-hour talk takes place in person at 6pm on Tuesday 29th September in the City Assembly House, 58 South William Street, Dublin 2, as well as live online.
Subscribers will be able to attend the talk in person at the IGS's City Assembly House or online live through Zoom. Additionally, all talk subscribers will receive a recording of the talk which can be watched for a two-week period after the date of issue. Please note that after the two week period the talk link will expire and cannot be reissued.
There will be a Q&A at the end of the talk. Those watching the talk live online can submit their questions through the Zoom Q&A function.
It is possible to book talks individually (€15 each) or book for the whole course for a discounted rate (€120).
The Society would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's National Built Heritage Services of the Society's Conservation Education Programme of which Curating the Irish County House talks are an action. Additionally the Society wishes to thank The Heritage Council for their wider support of the Society's work through its Heritage Organisation Support Fund 2026.
(Image: Dangan. Photo by Simon Watson)
