We really had to prioritise and focus on keeping the place suitable to be open and safe for people to visit.
Julie Shelswell-White lives at Bantry House and just before the pandemic she took over the running of the stately house, along with her brother.
Bantry House has been in their family for more than two centuries. Over the years, land and furniture has been sold to maintain the house.
There are hundreds of privately owned estates like it throughout Ireland, many of which have been closed because of public health restrictions.
Without tourists, weddings, and visitors to their gardens, paying for the upkeep has become a worry.