At the beginning of the 19th century, country house building in Ireland was booming. Most of the great houses we are familiar with across Ireland were built over the period from 1800 - 1900 during periods of prosperity.

It was a time of tremendous style and energy as each owner tried to produce something exceptional through architecture, collections and gardens. This energy led to a collection of properties across the country of the finest quality as their owners travelled across Europe collecting ideas and treasures.

The 20th century was less kind to these places. In the early part of the century, land reform cut off the income needed to sustain many estates while war, civil unrest in Ireland and economic decline all contributed to the decline of the 'Big House'. Severe tax laws and rates resulted in the continuing disposal of lands and collections as big houses and the families who cared for them tried to survive. As a result, only a very small proportion of the original number of historic properties survive in Ireland today.

The first significant change in this process of erosion was through the energy of the Irish Georgian Society in the 1960's and 1970's. The campaigns to save the Big House in Ireland with properties like Doneraile Court, Co. Cork, Damer House, Co. Tipperary and Castletown House, Co. Kildare started the very slow process of reversing the decline of these special places.

The need for a national property-owning charity to care for historic places has been the subject of many conversations and reports over the last fifty years in Ireland. A number of heritage organisations did seriously consider the issues involved, however, quickly realised each time that the scale of the undertaking was huge and would not be feasible without state support.

The Irish Georgian Society rekindled the debate in 2003 by commissioning - in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government - a report to explore the issues facing Historic Houses in Ireland and to make recommendations on how these issues could be addressed in the future.

The report written by Dr Terence Dooley, NUI Maynooth entitled, 'A Future for Irish Historic Houses? A Study of Fifty Houses', which was launched in 2003 by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD. The report clearly articulated the importance of caring for these properties to Ireland and the increasing risks they faced. It also emphasised the national cultural importance of these properties and that caring for them could deliver major economic benefits through employment and tourism. In addition, the report outlined the issues facing historic properties in both public and private ownership, including the challenge of conserving them and of finding sustainable uses for ones no longer occupied as family homes. One of the key recommendations was the establishment of a National Trust-type body, similar to the National Trust in the UK.

The Government responded positively to the report and the recommendations made by commissioning an independent study to explore the organisational and financial implications of establishing this type of Trust. This report identified the substantial costs involved in operating a historic property, examined potential tax incentives and how endowment funds could help to sustain the long term care of these properties.

The Minister of Environment, Heritage and Local Government then established a Steering Group chaired by Sir David Davies to consider all of the issues and make a recommendation to the Government. The Group reported back in February of 2006, recommending the foundation of an independent property-owning Trust. The Steering Group Report made it clear that progress would only be possible in the early years if there was substantial financial support from Government.

Five months later, on 3rd July 2006 at Russborough House, Co. Wicklow, the Minister officially launched the Trust as a limited company with charitable status to be governed by an independent board and with state support for the initial years.

The office officially opened at 4 Castle Street on 11th September 2006.

The Trust started caring for its first property, Fota House, Arboretum and Gardens, Cork on 20th December 2007.

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