Programme 6: Kilkenny
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Bridget and Michael Kirwan bought their ex-council cottage in Knocktopher, Co Kilkenny 24 years ago. Built in the 1940's it consisted of four basic rooms, no bathroom or running water. Before they moved in they added a basic extension to the full length of the back of their cottage to accommodate an extra bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom.
Bridget and Michael have four children. They are all grown up in more ways than one - two of them are already over 6ft - daughter Roisin is 6'3" and son Michael 6'5". When everyone is home they hang out together in the kitchen where they cook, eat, watch television, do homework and socialise. There's one sofa in the kitchen where three can sit, four - if youngest daughter Louise (16) sits on her Dad's knee... the rest, including partners and friends, all sit at the kitchen table.
Bridget puts it like this "you can't sit and relax, there's no opportunity for quiet time. When the children were small this wasn't an issue but now that they're big it is".
To say the Kirwan's cottage is incredibly cramped is to understate it. With their budget set at ¤65,000 Mum and Dad now crave a separate living space to enjoy some quiet time.
An extension seems like the obvious solution but first the layout of the existing house must be tackled and that has to start by moving the front door and creating a new main artery down the centre of the house.
When the build begins an unusual discovery is made - despite being dry-lined ten years ago, there's actually no insulation in the walls, bar a thin strip of foil. All the windows also need to be replaced which means the project is immediately over budget, by ¤8000.
By the third week the builder has more bad news - the floors in the old house are rotten, the walls are crooked and the ceilings need to come down. More costly extras...
"Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong, there is nothing else can go wrong" Dermot declares.
Famous last words is what we say... That's Room to Improve this Wednesday 8th July, on RTÉ One at 8.30pm.
Fact Sheet
Main Contractor
Gibbons Construction
Grangecon Hill, Grangecon
Co Wicklow
Poraig 087-2072614
email: info@gibbonsconstruction.com
Sub-contractors:
DK Windows and Doors
Unit C, Westland Business Park, Dublin 12
John or Darragh 01 424 2067
DK Insulation
John 087 222 2537
www.dkwindows.ie
Pat Rukings Joinery
Bagelstown, Co. Carlow
Fingal plumbing
086-8560628
RB Tech-Elec
087-2270538
Blacklion stone ltd
0599155836
Frankly Kiltchens
0578670210
Suppliers:
Allied Waste Management
046-9433366
Quinns of Baltinglass
05964-81266
Right Price Tiles
Carlow
05991-82496
Baltinglass hire
05964 82673
Hickey hire
Callan rd Kilkenny
056 7756100
Cemex Ltd
056 7761177
Treacys hardware
Thomastown Kilkenny
056 7724550
Tom Dack heating & plumbing supplies
Kilkenny
056 7724343
Kilkenny pre-cast concrete
056-7721013
