Tributes paid to renowned Louth-born architectural historian Christine Casey

Tributes have been paid to renowned Louth-born architectural historian Professor Christine Casey.

Professor Casey, who was a Professor of Architectural History at Trinity College Dublin and an Honorary Member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), was widely regarded as one of Ireland’s leading authorities on architecture, architectural heritage and craftsmanship.

Professor Casey grew up on the Carrick Road and made a significant contribution to the understanding and appreciation of Ireland’s built heritage through her research, teaching, publications and public lectures. Her expertise extended beyond Ireland, with her work earning her an international reputation for her studies of architecture, decoration and the craftsmanship behind historic buildings.

Among her best-known works was The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin, published in 2005, a comprehensive guide to the capital’s architecture. Her extensive body of work also included studies of eighteenth-century Dublin, decorative plasterwork, architectural craftsmanship and the conservation of historic interiors.

The RIAI said it was “deeply saddened” by Professor Casey’s death, describing her as a passionate advocate for a greater understanding of architectural heritage and craftsmanship. Dublin Civic Trust also paid tribute to her as a “powerhouse of architectural research and scholarly writing”, while highlighting the distinctive Louth accent and wit which accompanied her public appearances.

Professor Casey’s most recent book, Architecture and Artifice: The Crafted Surface in Eighteenth-Century Building Practice, was published in December 2025.

She was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and served as a trustee, board member and committee member with a number of national organisations involved in architectural heritage, including the Heritage Council, Irish Architectural Archive and Irish Georgian Society.

Paying tribute to Professor Casey, Dublin Civic Trust, said:

“It is with profound sadness that we learnt of the sudden passing of Christine Casey, Professor of Architectural History at Trinity College Dublin. Christine was a powerhouse of architectural research and scholarly writing, and an authority on Irish and European early modern architecture from the Renaissance to the Neoclassical period.

“Christine was an inspirational tutor and public speaker, brilliant and sparkling in her insight, possessing that rare gift to make the obscure accessible, the arcane entertaining. Any conference led by Christine was a hot ticket, a gift from the architectural gods, guaranteed to provoke, challenge and delight – her distinctive Louth accent enlivening the occasion, accompanied by an inimitable wry twinkle.

“Christine’s recent work fulfilled a lifelong interest in the relationship of architecture with decoration, and the role of craftsmanship in making buildings. Securing major research funding, Christine upended views about ‘top down’ building production by architects and clients, highlighting the vital role of craftspeople, builders and material suppliers. Christine was an authority on stucco and stuccatori, tracing the long line from Ireland’s decorative plasterwork of the 18th century to the slopes of Ticino and a pan-European craft tradition. Her published output is simply Herculean.

“To Dubliners, architects, and conservationists, Christine is best known for her monumental ‘Buildings of Ireland’ Pevsner guide to Dublin architecture, published in 2005, after her co-authored guide to North Leinster. Academia’s gain was the public’s loss with Christine, as one of our best architectural critics. Discerning, pithy, sometimes quietly devastating, her eye for our capital’s buildings was commanding and authoritative.

“On many occasions, a mere mention of a personal connection with Christine would prompt awe and surprise that she mingled with regular folk. Such is the lofty esteem with which she was held, and such is the loss that we now feel in Dublin Civic Trust, to whom she was a great friend.

“To Christine’s family and to her academic family and friends, we send our deepest condolences. Christine’s legacy is indelibly bound to Ireland’s architectural patrimony.”

Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute also paid tribute, saying:

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Christine Casey, a cherished member of Trinity’s Department of History of Art and Architecture.

“Christine was a valued and much-loved member of Trinity’s Arts and Humanities community, whose contribution extended far beyond the University. We were honoured to welcome her as a participant in our Arts & Humanities Research Festival in 2024, where she shared her expertise and passion for the field.

“The Trinity Long Room Hub extends its heartfelt condolences to Christine’s family, friends, colleagues and all who knew and worked with her.”