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Subjects · Leaving Cert Construction Studies

Leaving Cert Construction Studies: Vernacular & heritage buildings

How often Vernacular & heritage buildings comes up on the Construction Studies papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 8 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

OL Asked on 1 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2016.

June 2028 is the first exam on the new Construction Studies course. These come from the 2016–2025 papers, so read them as a guide.

Vernacular & heritage buildings, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Vernacular & heritage buildings.

(a)Typical plan of a traditional Irish vernacular farmhouse?
  1. Square, two rooms deep
  2. Long and narrow, one room deep
  3. L-shaped around a courtyard
(b)Why were vernacular windows small and set mainly in the south wall?
  1. To give views of the public road
  2. To let smoke escape from the hearth
  3. To limit heat loss while still catching sun
(c)Correct render for repairing a solid stone vernacular wall?
  1. Lime render
  2. Acrylic render
  3. Cement render
Show the answers

(a) Long and narrow, one room deep

(b) To limit heat loss while still catching sun

(c) Lime render

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Vernacular & heritage buildings.

Higher Level

Asked on 8 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q10b
2024Q3
2023Q4
2022Q3
2021Q10a, Q10b
2019Q4
2018Not asked
2017Q10b
2016Q8, Q10b

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Vernacular & heritage buildings questions

Vernacular & heritage buildings, 3 marks

On a Georgian front, why do the windows get shorter on upper floors?

  1. Glass was too heavy to lift to the upper floors
  2. A window tax charged more for the upper floors
  3. Proportion: main rooms got the tallest windows
Show the answer

Proportion: main rooms got the tallest windows

The main reception rooms were on the lower floors and got the tallest windows. Shorter windows above give the facade balance and a sense of order.

Vernacular & heritage buildings, 2 marks

Georgian houses in Irish towns and cities were mainly built when?

  1. The 16th and early 17th centuries
  2. The 18th and early 19th centuries
  3. The late 19th and early 20th centuries
Show the answer

The 18th and early 19th centuries

The style is named after the Georges who reigned from 1714 to 1830. Dublin, Limerick and many market towns have terraces and squares from this time.

Vernacular & heritage buildings, 3 marks

Why were the rubble stone walls of vernacular houses built so thick?

  1. Loose rubble needed width to stand and carry the roof
  2. To leave room inside the wall for a cavity and insulation
  3. To carry the weight of a flat concrete roof
Show the answer

Loose rubble needed width to stand and carry the roof

Uncoursed stone bedded in lime or clay mortar is only stable when wide. The heavy mass also evened out indoor temperatures between day and night.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 1 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2016.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Not asked
2022Not asked
2021Not asked
2019Not asked
2018Not asked
2017Not asked
2016Q8c

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Vernacular & heritage buildings questions

Vernacular & heritage buildings, 2 marks

The front of a Georgian house is usually?

  1. Irregular, with windows placed at random
  2. Covered in timber cladding
  3. Symmetrical and well-proportioned
Show the answer

Symmetrical and well-proportioned

Georgian designers followed classical rules. The door is often central, with windows lined up evenly on each side and above.

Vernacular & heritage buildings, 2 marks

What type of window is found in a Georgian house?

  1. Top-hung roof window
  2. Vertical sliding sash
  3. Tilt and turn casement
Show the answer

Vertical sliding sash

Sashes slide up and down in a box frame, balanced by weights on cords hidden in the sides of the frame.

Vernacular & heritage buildings, 3 marks

A benefit of renovating an old house instead of building new?

  1. It saves materials and embodied carbon
  2. It never needs planning permission
  3. It is always cheaper
Show the answer

It saves materials and embodied carbon

The walls, roof and floors already exist, so fewer new materials are made. Renovating also keeps the character of a street and brings empty homes back into use.

Other Construction Studies topics

All of Leaving Cert Construction Studies