Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is first important to describe Desmond Castle, although I will not do it justice. It is a stunning work of old architecture, a 500-year-old castle tower built by the FitzGerald family and located in the heart of historic Kinsale. Kinsale is a terrific town with so much going for it. It is a tourism destination that is well known as a foodie attraction. History is very important to the town. It has bucketloads of history and has been the site of many historic events. Desmond Castle is at the heart of everything historic in Kinsale. It is a seaside town with a rich maritime history, and this was the old customs house many hundreds of years ago. It is also known as the French Prison because it was used to house French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, and most recently it was a popular wine museum, until approximately four years ago. At that time, the Office of Public Works, OPW, decided to close the building and that is where the problems began. There has been structural and water damage because it has been closed. There has been no heating in the building, which has led to further damage within the structure. This stunning building of such significance is deteriorating in front of our eyes and the OPW needs to intervene.

Kinsale History Society, an active and terrific group that values the town’s heritage and history, has a plan for a programme of remedial works, first and foremost, to repair the castle and prevent any further damage. Second, and this is probably the key element of the group's plan, it wants to turn this fantastic building into an interpretative centre for the famous Battle of Kinsale of 1601. This building is of such importance and would be such a good fit because it was used as a centre for the Spanish forces during that famous battle. We all know the significance of the Battle of Kinsale, a turning point in Irish history. Many historians describe it as the beginning of the end of Gaelic culture and contend it was one of the major events that led to the eventual plantation of Ulster.

I urge the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to see the value in turning the building into an interpretative centre. It would be a perfect fit for Kinsale, which is both a successful foodie and tourism town and, importantly, an historic town. We have seen the success of Charlesfort, which is one of the flagship centres of the OPW, and this would be a perfect historic complement to that. I urge the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, to do everything possible to ensure action will be taken in order that Desmond Castle will be turned into an interpretative centre.

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