New Life Old Buildings in Limerick, 9 September

Elizabeth Howard works as a THRIVE Projects Officer at the Southern Regional Assembly, supporting local authorities to transform vacant and underused heritage buildings through renovation, renewal and adaptive reuse.

With a professional background spanning strategic arts investment, cultural policy, community engagement, fundraising and project management, Elizabeth has managed significant public funding and developed partnerships across local and national government, cultural organisations, artists and communities. Elizabeth’s work has secured substantial investment for creative and cultural projects, including initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion (Arts and Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes), health and wellbeing (Wexford County Council), cultural education (MAKE) and community development (The Place Theatre).

Born and raised in Limerick City, Grainne Mc Mahon graduated from UCD with first class honours in Architecture. Grainne worked in Venice and Genoa, including on the regeneration of Genoa Port for Expo 90 Columbus Celebrations, before returning to Ireland to work in private practice. She is an accredited Conservation Architect and a Fellow of the RIAI.

Now managing the Heritage team in Limerick City and County Council, Grainne's projects address dereliction and vacancy. She worked on Rural Limerick Housing Development projects that provided the blue print for the Croi Conaithe vacancy and dereliction grant scheme. Her other projects include the Thrive Project Design and Innovation Hub at Nicholas Street and Living City Initiative Limerick city centre regeneration projects.

Gráinne Shaffrey is an architect and urban designer in private practice. She is a Fellow of the RIAI, a Grade 1 Conservation Architect and holds an MA in Urban Design and Regeneration from the University of Manchester. A Director of Shaffrey Architects, her architectural work includes the conservation, adaptation and extension of existing buildings and the design of new buildings in existing settings. Her practice is concerned with the integration of new and existing urban fabric and public spaces which facilitate social and physical diversity. Research forms an important element in her overall practice.

Shaffrey Architects are currently working on the refurbishment, adaptation and extension of West Gate House, Drogheda to accommodate cultural and community uses. The project, commissioned by Louth County Council, is funded under the THRIVE programme and emerged from prior urban study of Drogheda alongside community and stakeholder engagement, which continues.

Laura Johnstone is an Architect with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (dlr), specialising in conservation, adaptive reuse, and the sustainable regeneration of historic buildings. Prior to joining the local authority, she worked in conservation-led private practice and completed the Master of Urban and Building Conservation at University College Dublin, followed by a PhD examining nineteenth-century estate-led development. Laura was Executive Conservation Officer with Fingal County Council before joining dlr as Executive Architect.

She is currently project manager for the THRIVE-funded George’s Place and Wash House project, an adaptive reuse initiative transforming two vacant historic buildings into a vibrant Centre for Creative Lifelong Learning. Developed through a community-led Integrated Urban Strategy, the project demonstrates how heritage-led regeneration can secure sustainable new futures for vacant heritage buildings while supporting wider social, cultural, and economic objectives.

Ailish Drake is a director at Drake Hourigan Architects, a Limerick‑based architecture, landscape, and conservation practice. The studio reimagines heritage‑rich town centres, shapes public spaces and landscapes, and delivers cultural, community, and educational buildings. Its work is grounded in the sensitive conservation and adaptation of historic structures, bringing new life to places with depth and character.