Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am familiar with Fota, although probably not as familiar as Deputy McGrath beside me. Barryscourt Castle has been extensively restored. A lot of work has been done. The main hall and the great hall have been completed and fittings and furnishings have been reinstated. As the Deputy has said, within the castle grounds there is a herb garden, a knot garden and an orchard. These have been restored according to the original 16th century design. The castle is extremely old and dates back to somewhere between 1392 and 1420. It has an outer bawn wall and corner towers that are largely intact. It is one of the finest examples of a restored Irish tower house. The ground floor of the tower house contains a dungeon into which prisoners were dropped via a drop hole located on the second floor. The Barrys supported the Fitzgeralds of Desmond during the Irish rebellions of the late 16th century. To prevent it being captured by Sir Walter Raleigh and his army, the Barrys had partially to destroy the castle. That is some of the history.

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