The DemoHouse is a house in Maynooth where people can visit to see, and feel, the results of energy upgrade retrofit, sustainability and environmental measures. They can find information at the DemoHouse about how to introduce these concepts into their own homes.
To book your visit for the DemoHouse please click here.
If you are interested in finding out about some of the concepts in the house, then have a look at the short animated videos here
Supporting homeowners make energy upgrades and retrofits is important because according to 2018 baseline figures, the Residential sector has the highest greenhouse gas emissions in Maynooth. We brought some local people on a tour of the DemoHouse. They were:
Daria Dobrzynska, from Irish Home Care, Naas Co Kildare and Nurse of the Year at the 2024 Home and Community Care Ireland. She reacts to the refurbishments that made the house more accessible to people of all ages and abilities
Ted Robinson, Managing Director Barberstown Castle who shares his memories of the area and comments on the upgrades in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability
John Doyle, former All Star footballer and Kildare GAA's Community Development and Participation Officer who appreciates the food composting system, rainwater harvesting and nature-based solutions.
Grace Clifford former captain of the Kildare Ladies Football Team, sees how the house can be used as an educational tool where people can learn about the importance of improving airtightness in homes and other sustainability concepts.
Have a listen to their thoughts about the refurbishments here.
The DemoHouse is located in Maynooth which is Kildare County Council’s Decarbonising Zone (DZ). A DZ is a place where climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures are being implemented to achieve the national targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to achieve net zero by 2050. These targets require us to take actions and to create a sustainable future that gives equal consideration to people, the planet and the economy.
We have put together a video to visualise what Maynooth would look like if climate and biodiversity measures were introduced into the town. Have a look A Vision for Maynooth.
The DemoHouse gives an holistic overview of climate and sustainability concepts and is the first of its kind developed by a Local Authority. In February 2025 it attracted the attention of national media and was featured on Nationwide, see here.
To see some Homes for Smart Ageing, pleases click here