Sweat House Project

The Leitrim Sweathouse Project is a community heritage initiative of Leitrim County Council, funded by the Heritage Council. The aim of the project is to provide opportunities for people to engage with the traditions of sweathouses in Leitrim, through a coordinated programme of heritage activities and events. The project ran throughout 2021 and 2022 and set out to train local volunteers in archival research, oral history collection and archaeological survey, to gain greater insight into sweathouses across Leitrim. The project also sought to engage with landowners in terms of protection and preservation into the future by producing conservation guidelines for sweathouses.

The project saw a significant and enthusiastic participation from volunteer researchers. At the start of the project there were 98 known sweathouse sites in Co. Leitrim and during the course of the project a further 19 sweathouses were identified. This is a significant increase in numbers, and it is likely more are yet to be discovered. The total number of recorded sweathouses in the County now stands at 117, more than 2.5 times that of any other County. It was also found that the distribution of sweathouses was more extensive than previously thought, being distributed right across the County, from Kinlough to south of Mohill. However, it is in the detail of the survey that the real value lies, allowing us to assess the form and state of preservation of the structures. This has been updated for 40 of the sites. Please see the two project reports below for more detail of the project and survey results:

The Leitrim Sweathouse Project 2021 Report can be accessed here. 

The Leitrim Sweathouse Project 2022 Report can be accessed here. 

Sweathouse Conservation Guidelines for Landowners: The new survey data has not only given insight into the preservation of sweathouses but also the risks posed to these structures. Trees and vegetation stand out as the main risk to intact examples. The Sweathouse Conservation Guidelines will hopefully be of use to landowners and community groups who want to protect sweathouses. This is a starting point, but small measures can make a difference, and the document also provides information on the stages to consider in more substantial works in terms of repair and restoration. Sweathouse Conservation Guidelines can be accessed here.

This project is funded by the Heritage Council and Leitrim County Council.