As their self-confidence and our understanding of their capabilities has grown over the years, the ambition has emerged between us to recreate within the wonderfully proportioned interior spaces of the castle something quite unique: a timeless celebration of the mid 18th century high water mark of Irish Georgian decorative arts.
This restoration harks back to a period when many Italian artisans brought to Ireland the decorative techniques and language of the Italian Renaissance…and the Irish who learnt from them then brought that uniquely creative and whimsical element to their work, defining the Irish Georgian style as opposed to its more rigid English equivalent.
A quite distinctively different aspect of the Castle Freke interiors that are now being created, however, is that the high and low relief plaster ceilings and other decorative elements are devoted to legends and traditions of the Evans-Freke family’s Welsh and Irish Celtic and their Norse roots, whereas nearly all the predecessor work in Ireland from the 18th century would have been almost exclusively around classical themes, mostly copied from pattern books presented by architects to their Anglo-Irish clients.
A visitor to Castle Freke today witnesses in real time artistic skills and techniques being practiced on a daily basis that have not been seen in Ireland or much of Europe for over 250 years. The ceilings – completed or still being worked on – with their dramatic mythological themes and freehand sculpturing, the scagliola marble columns and other elements made using techniques dating back to ancient times, as also the stone, bronze and lead castings… Witnessing the creative inspiration and the extraordinary skills on display at Castle Freke is a truly memorable experience.
The Future of Castle Freke
Stephen Evans-Freke and his wife Barbara have now been joined by his son and daughter-in-law Yorick and Penny Evans-Freke as they continue the restoration of the castle, which still has a number of years ahead before the interiors of the main block are completed. It is the hope and aspiration of the family that in time the castle will become a venue and hub for Irish cultural and musical traditions as well as a location for important gatherings and happenings.
The Restoration of Castle Freke
Restoration work commenced in earnest in 2004, with an initial focus solely on stabilizing and preserving the structure for future generations. By 2006, however, the mission objectives had expanded to restoring the external envelope, perimeter walls and structural elements of the entire castle. The castellations which had been ‘knocked’ in the 1950’s to salvage the lead flashings were to be reinstated, six hundred and seventy door and window lintels to be installed, some 45 tall chimneys to be lined with porcelain, and permanent roof surfaces to be replaced on the main block and principle towers. This work has continued, with a break between 2008 and 2012, up to the present time.
Mission creep is of course a common feature of restoration projects, and this restoration has seen a remarkable organic evolution of project objectives. The small and tightly knit team of artisans at Castle Freke are entirely local, with no external contractors involved other than for electrical, plumbing, and other such specialty trades. The individual team members came to this project mostly by serendipity, but between them they brought entirely complementary skill sets and experience…knowledge that they have been sharing enthusiastically with each other and with the younger members of the team. It has become apparent over time that there is no problem they cannot collectively find a solution to, and that their appetite for ever greater challenges is insatiable.
