Last night's episode of the Great House Revival was certainly an emotional one, as RTÉ dedicated the show to the show's former presenter, the late Hugh Wallace.
The broadcaster shared a touching tribute to the architect, writing: 'For our friend Hugh. To be in Hugh's presence was to have sunshine on a dreary day. We will miss you always.'
The statement came after newlyweds Eleanor and David Shannon appeared on the episode alongside Hugh, having bought their first home, the Old Presbytery in Caltra, Co Galway, which has lain empty for a decade.
Eleanor, a nurse, hails from the Philippines, while David, who works for a medical supply company, is Roscommon-born. The couple wanted their home to 'balance both our backgrounds'.
The couple spent their first year as a married couple renovating the property into their future family home, a total 'passion project'.
The couple wanted to remain faithful to the layout of the home, but there was a lot of restoration to do before the transformation could commence.
Hugh was particularly transfixed by the 'mad ceilings' which were crafted by hand, and 'untouched' for decades. David said they had traces of asbestos, which would be safe as long as they were left alone, 'beautiful and deadly', he jokingly compared them to his wife.
As first-time DIY-ers, the couple had to roll up their sleeves and take on the challenging business of renovating by themselves to cut costs.
David took the technology route to upskill by using AI and YouTube tutorials, while Eleanor got first-hand training in lime plastering.
It was no mean feat, but they came out the other side (mostly). There are still two rooms upstairs that need to be completed, the house still needs to be 'future-proofed', and none of the rooms have doors, but they're doing alright!
David and Eleanor bought their kitchen units at a reduced price, and managed to get their entire room fitted for just €3,000. 'We love a bargain', he said, as host Brendan Courtney joked that it's a 'rare combination to have bargain hunters with good taste'.
All in all, Brendan reckons the couple have saved in excess of €120,000 by bargain hunting and doing renovations for themselves.
Eleanor and David praised the late Hugh Wallace for all of his help and guidance, with David saying: 'He made a big impact on us,' adding that he 'motivated us to do our best work'.
Eleanor sweetly said that if she could choose three celebrities, dead or alive, to have at a dinner party, Hugh would definitely be one of them.
The Great House Revival airs Sundays at 9:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Couple breathes 'exquisite' new life into 19th-century home on Great House Revival
