The battle to save one of the most important country houses in Anglo Irish history will be highlighted in a documentary broadcast from Bantry this evening.
The Shelswell-White family, struggling under a heavy debt burden of more than €1 million, needs to take radical action to save Bantry House.
Eldest daughter Sophie (31) returned from Australia three years ago to take over the running of the estate from her parents, Egerton and Brigitte. However she faces major obstacles on a tight budget with maintenance costs running at €500,000 a year.
Bantry House features as the first Irish house to appear on Channel 4’s Country House Rescue and traces the family’s 300-year connection to the west Cork property. Sophie and her partner Josh face an uphill battle to turn the 17th-century home into a self-funding enterprise.
“I tend to be slightly emotional anyway but even though we wanted some help, it’s always difficult to hear some of the things that were suggested,” Sophie Shelswell-White said.
The episode will air tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm.