'It's a little gem' - Late father's vision for Tipperary house brought to life on RTÉ show

A historic Tipperary estate has been given a new lease of life on RTÉ’s At Your Service, as the family behind Shanbally House continues the late Noel Duggan’s ambitious vision for the property.

Noel Duggan tragically passed away in 2023, leaving the fabulous Shanbally House to his daughter, Kate.

The latest episode of the popular series saw hosts John and Francis Brennan visit Shanbally House in Co Tipperary, where Noel’s wife Bridget and daughter Kate are facing the difficult task of turning his dream into a viable business.

At the heart of Noel’s philosophy was the belief that nature and food could play a central role in wellbeing.

“Let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food,” was one of Noel’s sayings, reflecting the ‘healing through nature’ approach which Bridget and Kate now want to preserve within Shanbally.

John and Francis described Shanbally as “a little gem”, but acknowledged the emotional difficulty surrounding the property following Noel’s death.

“This story is emotionally charged,” John said, pointing out that while the family had an extraordinary property on their hands, Noel’s legacy could only survive if Shanbally became a viable business.

The Brennan brothers quickly identified accommodation as one of the key areas which needed attention.

“Bedrooms are what you want, they make the money,” John explained, while describing the existing courtyard bedrooms as more similar to a “three star” hotel offering.

The wider problem, they felt, was that Shanbally was currently “a bit of this and a bit of that”, despite having a strong foundation to build upon.

Bridget and Kate were presented with three choices, sell the property, continue as they were, or “go all out” and develop Shanbally as a full organic destination.

Selling was not an option they wanted to consider. Instead, they decided to explore taking Noel’s vision to another level, although they had concerns about whether such an ambitious plan could work.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” John told them, encouraging the family to take the project one step at a time.

To help give Bridget and Kate some clarity about what Shanbally could become, the brothers brought them to Lisnacarrick in Foxrock, Dublin.

The property demonstrated how a venue could successfully combine corporate and public use while placing a strong emphasis on health and wellness.

The visit provided the women with inspiration and helped them see what could potentially be achieved at Shanbally.

Back in Tipperary, botanical expert Dermot Gavin also visited the estate, describing Shanbally as a place full of “colour and life”.

He suggested that understanding the property’s potential could help Kate and Bridget fully embrace the vision their late husband and father had worked hard to create.

The family also received encouragement from Siobhan Byrne, an upscale private travel designer, who visited Shanbally to assess its potential as a luxury travel destination.

She described it as a “perfect home from home”, highlighting the growing desire among visitors to get “off the beaten track” and experience something authentic.

“It’s a real Irish experience,” she said.

The episode also showcased what Shanbally is already capable of, with Kate inviting Irish influencers to experience the property and hosting a fitness event, ‘Elevate’ as part of its offering.

The event featured a fitness class followed by a homemade lunch, with the Brennan brothers impressed by what they saw.

However, they also warned Kate that while events were a major strength, she couldn’t continue to put all of her energy into that one area of the business.

Kate then went on to host Shanbally’s health and wellness festival in September, which attracted more than 5,000 visitors to the estate.

The event featured yoga, talks, HIIT classes, 5K runs and cooking demonstrations, attracting visitors from across the country and becoming one of Shanbally’s biggest money makers.

John praised Kate for what she had achieved, saying events such as these “breed success” and that she deserved great credit.

But accommodation remained a major area of concern for John and Francis.

Interior designer Sally Anne O’Toole was brought in to give the bedrooms and courtyard greater character, with the aim of elevating the accommodation to match the rest of the property.

“If Kate wants to achieve money from these rooms they need to be elevated,” was the message.

The transformation eventually delivered exactly what the family had hoped for.

The courtyard bedrooms were upgraded from what John had described as a three star offering into accommodation the family could confidently market at the top end.

“Now we’re five star,” Bridget joked.

The courtyard function room was also transformed, with a rustic warmth that gives it potential as a dining space for wellness events, as well as the possibility of an organic café.

Elsewhere, the basement was given a clear purpose, with the potential to become an atmospheric space for wedding receptions.

After months of emotional and practical challenges, the Brennan brothers believed Bridget and Kate had finally found a clear direction for Shanbally.

Rather than selling the estate, the family have chosen to pursue an exclusive market centred around events, weddings, specialist courses and private parties.

For Bridget and Kate, the newly upgraded Shanbally is ultimately a combination of the future they are building and the vision Noel worked so hard to create.

John described the episode as one of the “most difficult” the brothers had worked on, given the huge amount of emotion surrounding the property inherited by Kate and Bridget.

“There’s a lot of work to do,” Francis acknowledged.

But by the end of their time at Shanbally, the family had something they had been missing, a clear map for the future.

The house remains rooted in Noel’s philosophy, with its connection to farming, nature, food and wellbeing, while the changes made during the programme have given the historic Tipperary property a new commercial purpose.

As John put it, “You have the place and you have to make it right.”

After the transformation showcased on At Your Service, Bridget and Kate now appear ready to do exactly that, while ensuring Noel’s vision continues to live on at Shanbally.