The exhibition, run as part of Architecture Kerry 2025, featured design concepts created by third-year architecture students from the Cork Centre for Architectural Education.
The students’ projects, exploring themes like sustainable design, coastal resilience, community space and rural identity, were not intended as plans for change.
They were, however, aimed at sparking conversation about how small villages like Caherdaniel can evolve while keeping their character.
The presentation at Derrynane House took place after Caherdaniel’s community group, Coiste Pobail Chathair Dónal, approached Cork Centre for Architectural Education. Under Professor Kevin Busby, tutors and 35 architectural students visited the village in October last year.
Fifty years ago, Caherdaniel was a hive of activity, home to a hotel, two pubs, several restaurants and a small shop which was the centre of the community.
Today, however, only the Blind Piper pub and restaurant survives and the village’s main thoroughfare has many vacant buildings.
The architecture exhibition at Derrynane House showed what could be possible in the village in the future.
Community members, local groups, and visitors came along to view the exhibition and chat with the students. Professor Kevin Busby said “we hope that our ideas will plant a seed to develop and prosper”.
Student architect Quinton Kelly said his work, and that of his fellow-students, was inspired by the passion of Caherdaniel residents for their locality.
The enthusiastic architectural students’ projects explored utilising the local river, connecting roads and pathways and developing community spaces.
Projects also targeted the use of vacant buildings and land sites to benefit the community and boost tourism.