Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply but am disappointed with his negative response. I do not know how familiar he is with Irish history but Doe Castle has been associated with many major events over the past 400 or 500 years. It was built in the early 1500s. Red Hugh O'Donnell, who was one of the most important people to come from Donegal and was known as the fighting prince of Donegal, was fostered there. When the Spanish Armada was wrecked in 1588, survivors of the disaster found shelter and protection in Doe Castle. Owen Roe O'Neill, on his return from Spain in 1641, landed at Doe Castle and began his conquest of Ulster from there. When one takes all of these things into consideration, the castle is probably the most historic building surviving in Donegal, if not in Ireland. There is one major investment required, to re-roof the great hall.

Doe Castle is already a great tourist attraction. Approximately 5,000 people per month visit the castle, the seat of the MacSweeney family, during the summer season. If the castle were re-roofed, there would be a triangle of attractions in the area, namely Doe Castle itself, the Glenveagh Estate, in which the State has invested heavily and which attracts 100,000 visitors per annum, and the Glebe Gallery, bequeathed by Derek Hill. If the main hall of the castle were re-roofed, it would generate enough finances to make the castle self-sufficient.

I urge the Minister of State to have a sympathetic look at this project. In two year's time we will commemorate the Flight of the Earls. The year 2007 is the fourth centenary of that event. The earls did not leave Doe Castle but the nearby village of Rathmullan and while the main celebrations will be in Rathmullan in 2007, there is no reason we should not have a banquet to mark the departure of the earls in Doe Castle. That can only be done, however, if the great hall is re-roofed. I urge the Minister of State and the Minister to provide funding of €200,000 to complete the job. I would then welcome them both to the official opening, even if nobody else in the House would do so.

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