Ian Lumley

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Ian Lumley
Born1958 (age 67–68)
Waterford
Organization An Taisce
Known forHeritage and environmental activist

Ian Lumley (born 1958) is an Irish conservationist, who served with An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland over an extended period, principally as its heritage officer, and latterly as one of its three senior managers, as head of advocacy.

Contents

Personal life

Ian Lumley was born in Waterford in 1958. [1]

In 1982, Lumley purchased a house on Henrietta Street in Dublin, a street of substantially intact early Georgian houses, and worked on its restoration over many years. His kitchen was used as a television scene in the series Penny Dreadful. [2]

In 1992, Lumley was a co-founder of the Dublin Civic Trust.

Lumley also sat on the board of the Heritage Council for a number of years. [3]

He partnered with a developer to restore another property at 3 Henrietta Street in 2019, partly funded by income from short-let accommodation. [4] [5] [6]

Conservation work

Lumley was a volunteer with An Taisce for many years before becoming its heritage officer around 2000, [1] and in 2023 taking up the new post on a rationalised senior management team of three, as "head of advocacy", overseeing the organisation's work on planning and policy. [7] Described in the Irish Times as "one of Ireland's most courageous guardians of the built and natural environment", [1] Lumley has focused his approach on using legal tools and processes to address developments of concern. [1]

Lumley has also worked as director of projects with the Dublin Civic Trust [8] and held a senior role with the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust in London. [8] Much of Lumley's work, even in formal roles, has been unpaid. [4]

Lumley also has sat on the board of the Alfred Beit Foundation which looks after Russborough House as a nominee of An Taisce. [9]

Environmental and heritage campaigning

In January 2005, Lumley was barred from acting as a director of certain companies for five years, after a High Court hearing into the liquidation of Lancefort Limited, a company he co-founded in 1996 to campaign on environmental and planning issues along with Michael Smith. [10] The company was wound up in 2002, after the High Court awarded £23,000 costs in a case against Treasury Holdings relating to the Westin Hotel on College Green, Dublin. Lancefort was represented in various cases by then barrister Colm Mac Eochaidh. The parties were also involved in the £10,000 reward for information leading to convictions for planning corruption which ultimately lead to the establishment of the Flood Tribunal, later named the Mahon Tribunal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Battersby, Eileen (22 May 2010). "At war with the blots on our landscape". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Wood, Gaby (10 September 2018). "This Dublin Block Tells the Story of the City". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). www.heritagecouncil.ie. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 "An Taisce heritage officer has plans for Airbnb-style studio lettings shot down on appeal". The Irish Independent . 5 April 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  5. ↑ McDonald, Frank. "Rescuing a ruin on Henrietta Street: 'The bank just didn't want to know'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "Dublin's North Inner City". Village Magazine. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  7. ↑ "Key Staff". An Taisce - The National Trust For Ireland. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Preservation by example". The Irish Times . 6 February 1996. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "Governance". Russborough House. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Court bars two from company directorships". The Irish Times . 12 January 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2024. One of the foremost environmental activists in the State has been barred from acting as a director of certain companies for five…
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