Revitalising Rural Communities Through Our Heritage Assets

The question is not whether these structures matter, but how we ensure they continue to serve and strengthen the communities around them.

Revitalising Rural Communities Through Our Heritage Assets brings together experts from heritage, planning, agriculture and community development to explore how these buildings can support sustainable rural regeneration. As economic and social needs evolve, this session creates space for practical, cross-sector discussion on how we bring neglected structures back into meaningful use.

Through presentations and panel conversations, we will examine successful examples of adaptive reuse, highlight available funding supports, and explore how communities, planners, landowners and local authorities can work together to unlock the potential of these assets.

Featured Contributors

Hear from those working at the forefront of heritage conservation and rural development.

Case Studies presented by:

• Gavin Campbell, Director, Studio Myco
• Niamh Lunny, CEO, Irish Landmark Trust
• Philip Corrigan, Development Manager, Accelerating Change Together
• Dr Jane Shackleton, Lakeview Organic Farm
• Robert Burns, Chief Executive Officer, Monaghan County Council

Followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Peter Crowley, Founding Director of PAC Studio, with:

• Dr Philip Crowe, Director of Research, UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
• Alison Harvey, Associate Director of Planning, Jacobs
• Tom Pollard, All Ireland Heritage Skills Programme Coordinator, King's Foundation
• Nicola Matthews, Senior Architect, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage & National Contact Point New European Bauhaus Policy

Places are limited. Book your place now and be part of the conversation shaping the future of Ireland’s rural communities.

This event is part of the RDS Foundation Festival - Finding Common Ground. This is a two-day public event that explores how Ireland can respond to shared environmental and societal challenges, particularly climate change, sustainable resource use, and bridging skills gaps.

The festival is rooted in the RDS’s long-standing heritage, which dates to 1731, of advancing agriculture, science, enterprise and the arts for the public good. For nearly three centuries, the RDS has provided a platform where different disciplines and perspectives meet to improve Irish society. The festival continues this tradition by creating space for open dialogue, collaboration and learning across sectors at a time when complex challenges demand collective solutions.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher RDS Foundation