Eco-friendly house in West Cork crowned RT s Home of the Year
14/05/2015: An eco-friendly, split-level house in Castletownbere, West Cork, which combines comfort, clever design and functionality, has won RT Ones Home of the Year.
Over the past seven weeks, TV viewers were welcomed across the threshold of 21 houses as expert judges Declan O'Donnell, Hugh Wallace and Helen James debated the merits of flatpack furniture, baths in bedrooms and pink sitting rooms. Seven homes were short-listed for the Carton House based finale, which aired this evening (Thursday 14 May).
Of the winning house, award-winning architect Declan said: This house really stayed with me. You don't often see something so beautiful which is so functional. This home is kind to the environment and sacrifices nothing in achieving that. It's a beacon for clever and creative design.' Interior designer Hugh said: It's a tour de force. A faultless home wonderful and worthy.' It's an incredible piece of art. And there's something so peaceful about it,' said textiles and home-wares designer, Helen.
The interior of the house is warm and cosy, surrounded by incredible views of the mountains and sea of West Cork via large picture windows. A library with a secret door particularly delighted the judges.
Owned by retired couple Ita Molloy and Andrew Harvey, the home was designed and built by Ita's architect son Donn Ponnighaus. Ita said: There are a lot of special things when you walk around the house that make you smile. But I think saving energy has been one of the main issues for us and for my son. When you put the effort in over several years, working really hard to get it right, it's just amazing to get the validation that we did today and to be crowned Home of the Year.' Andrew said: We're really pleased that we can share it and that people can see that it's possible to have a beautiful house that is ecologically friendly also.'
The runners-up were a semi-detached house in Co Kildare featuring a lovingly-styled mix of 60s and 70s decor owned by musician Ger Eaton, his wife Susann, and their children, which Declan described as a happy, fun home and a lifestyle choice done with a huge amount of skill'; and a cob-and-timber frame home in Co Sligo designed and built by architect Feile Butler and carpenter Colin Ritchie, a home full of passion and design creativity; charming and magical', according to Hugh.
Declan said: This whole experience has been an absolute privilege. I've learned it's not about what a house costs, it's not about where it is, it's about how happy you are in your home. Hugh added: It's very exciting to go in and actually snoop in people's homes and see the passion people have for their homes.'
RT One Channel Controller Adrian Lynch said: This series appealed to the natural sense of curiosity we have in Ireland about other people's homes and invited viewers to enjoy a rare glimpse into some absolutely stunning homes throughout the country in the company of our judges. Home of the Year featured a wide variety of homes, both big and small, with an emphasis on creativity, rather than cost. We were very pleased with the show and its performance, achieving an average audience to date of 344,000. These figures along with the high level of interest and engagement on social media demonstrated that the producers ShinAwil, the judges and the homeowners have achieved something special.'
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Eco-friendly house in West Cork crowned RT s Home of the Year 
