BYAILEEN MURPHY

The beautiful gatelodge at the entrance to Colebrooke Estate is well on the way to being restored to its' original glory.

The 'Triumphal Arch Gatelodge', which had fallen into disrepair over the years, is being restored by the Irish Landmark Trust with the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £161,000. Work on the Gatelodge is due to be completed by the start of April this year.

Once restored to its former glory, the Gatelodge will be available to rent by members of the public who are looking for a historic hideaway. Unlike many traditional gatelodges currently available for hire which can only accommodate two people, Colebrooke will have two double bedrooms catering for four people.

Members from Clogher Historical Society recently visited the property and were pleasantly surprised by the progress of the building.

PROGRESS

Grace Moloney from the Society spoke of the scale of the work completed to date: 'We were impressed with the progress in view of the fact that the last time that we saw it the building seemed almost irredeemable. The Society is pleased to be involved with the project and we're looking forward to seeing the house when it's finished."

Mary O'Brien, Executive Director of The Irish Landmark Trust said: "For over 10 years, The Irish Landmark Trust has rescued and restored some of Ireland's most unique historic buildings, and endowed them with a sustainable future by letting them as holiday accommodation. Our properties have something very special - a sense of place and time. We very much look forward to beginning this, our 19th project".

The building is currently in a dilapidated state but is being brought back into new use through sensitive conservation techniques which will restore the original features whilst introducing modern touches designed to bring comfort to those staying in the holiday accommodation.

Paul Mullan, THE Manager of the Heritage Lottery Fund Northern Ireland said: "By bringing this building back into use by the public, people will be able to discover exciting parts of their heritage whilst relaxing and enjoying the beautiful countryside that this part of the world has to offer."

For more information on the progress of work at Colebrook Gatelodge, or to enquire about hiring the property go to www.irishlandmark.com.