County Mayo, Ireland

Awakening the Irish Cottage

Bringing a forgotten stone cottage in County Mayo back to life — stone by stone, with traditional methods and a lot to learn.

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The Story

A cottage left empty for decades. Time to wake it up.

A traditional stone cottage in County Mayo. Empty for decades. Roof going, chimney leaning, sycamore through what used to be the back wall. I'm Dan — I've come over from Australia to wake it back up.

My family's from Ireland, but I've never lived in Mayo, and I've never done a full renovation before. So this is all about learning out loud — lime mortar, stone masonry, traditional methods, and the bits I'll figure out as I go.

Irish stone, enduring
The Plan

From sale to home

The goal is to have the cottage fully restored. Here's where things stand — updated as the project moves forward.

Now
Contracts & Sale
Waiting on contracts to be exchanged. The cottage isn't sale agreed yet — once the paperwork is done, the work begins.
Phase 1
Site Survey & Planning
Structural assessment, planning applications, and mapping out the full scope of work. Clearing the site and making it safe to begin.
Phase 2
Structural Work
Roof, walls, and foundations. Stabilising the structure, repointing stonework, replacing any rotten timbers, and getting it watertight.
Phase 3
Windows, Doors & Services
Fitting windows and doors, running plumbing, electrics, and drainage. The cottage starts to feel like a building again.
Phase 4
Interior Fit-Out
Plastering, flooring, kitchen and bathroom installation. Insulation and heating. The inside begins to take shape.
Phase 5
Finishing & Decoration
Paint, fixtures, furnishing. The details that turn a building site into a home. This is where monthly supporters get their say on colours and choices.
Final
Project Completed
The cottage is restored, the work is done, and a forgotten building has a future again.
Three Threads

What every episode comes back to

01

Heritage & Craft

Lime mortar, stone masonry, thatching, repointing. Traditional Irish methods, learned hands-on because they're the right methods for this building.

02

Honest Work

No skipped steps and no glossy edits. The setbacks, the slow weeks, and the long stretches of unglamorous graft — all in the episode.

03

Connection to Place

A country my family's from, that I'm only just getting to know. The neighbours, the language, the West in different weather — all part of the story.

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Follow every step on YouTube

From pulling ivy off centuries-old walls to fitting the first window — the full restoration is documented on the channel. New episodes land as each phase of work unfolds.

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Watch the latest episode
Support the Project

Help keep the walls rising

Restoring a cottage takes time, materials, and a stubborn refusal to give up. If you're enjoying the project, any contribution goes directly toward lime, stone, timber, and tools.

⚒

The Hearth

€5 / month

The heart of the home. For people who simply want to back the project and see more than the public gets.

  • Early, ad-free access to videos and updates
  • Patrons-only community space
  • Your name in YouTube video credits
  • Full photo galleries from every phase
Join on Patreon
☉

The Stonemason’s Circle

€12 / month

Everything in The Hearth, plus a real say in how the cottage takes shape.

  • Real voting rights on decisions: wall colours, lime finishes, doors, windows, fixtures, garden choices
  • Monthly Q&A — submit questions, get answered on camera or in writing
Join on Patreon
◆

The Keystone

€30 / month

Everything in The Stonemason’s Circle, plus lasting recognition and exclusive access.

  • Your name on the permanent supporters’ page
  • Real postcards from Mayo, twice yearly
  • Weighted voting on close decisions
  • First access to future offerings — open days, prints, stays
  • Monthly live video hangouts
Join on Patreon

Want every cent to reach the cottage?

Patreon takes roughly 10% of each contribution. If you’d prefer your full donation to go directly toward lime, stone, and timber, you can transfer it via Wise instead — no platform fees.

Donate directly via Wise

Not in a position to donate? No problem.

Some of the most helpful things cost nothing at all. Three options below — any of them genuinely help.

Share the channel

Send a video to a friend, post it in a group, or share it on social media. Every share puts the cottage in front of someone new.

Like, comment, subscribe

It sounds simple, but engagement is everything on YouTube. A comment or a like tells the algorithm to show the videos to more people.

Tell someone about it

Word of mouth builds the most loyal audience. If you know someone who'd enjoy this kind of project, let them know it exists.