Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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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.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue of the future of Desmond Castle in Kinsale, a beautiful town I have visited on a number of occasions. His passion for the heritage and culture of that part of County Cork is well known. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy O'Donovan.

Desmond Castle in Kinsale, which is also known as the French Prison, is one of more than 700 national monuments throughout the country that are conserved, maintained and managed by the OPW. As the Deputy will be aware, the castle is closed at the moment for conservation works and has not been accessible to the public since the end of 2017. When it was open for visitors, it operated as a town centre seasonal site during the summer months and was managed by OPW staff in conjunction with the other major national monument site in Kinsale, namely, Charlesfort. The latter attracts approximately 100,000 visitors each year, so the importance of these locations to the local community and economy is well recognised.

Desmond Castle was built by the Earl of Desmond around the year 1500 and is a fine example of an urban tower house, with a three-storey keep and storehouses to the rear. It has had many uses over the years. It was originally built as a customs house to meet the international trade coming into Kinsale by sea. It served as a prison for some time in the 18th century and was an ordnance store supplying the local English garrison in Charlesfort during the Battle of Kinsale of 1601. It then served as a local workhouse during the Great Famine of the mid-1840s. By the early decades of the 20th century, however, the castle had fallen into decay, before it was taken over by the then Commissioners of Public Works and declared a national monument in 1938. The varied nature of its history has to some degree caused confusion about the site and why it is noteworthy. In recent times, the castle was home to an historic wine collection, and while this was an interesting exhibition and linked in to Kinsale's reputation as a food tourism location, it did not really work to copper-fasten a strong, historic context and theme for the castle.

The site is currently closed because extensive conservation works are required and the castle was considered a risk to visitors if kept open. Due to water penetration issues, the building requires a full programme of fabric repair and refurbishment works. Several surveys have been completed on the building, including a mechanical, electrical and digital survey and a full building fabric report. The works needed to deal with the water penetration issues have also been identified. This is a multi-phased and complex repair project and the OPW is now seeking to appoint an external conservation architect for the entire repair and refurbishment programme, from preliminary design to handover. Scoping documents are being prepared for the procurement and appointment of the external conservation architect. An interpretation consultant will also be brought on board to undertake the design of the public interface when all conservation works have been completed. Given the castle is a national monument, the consent of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will be required for all repair and conservation works.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response, which contained a good chunk of interesting history on the castle's previous uses. I take from the reply that there is a plan to repair and conserve the building, given scoping documents are being prepared. That work should be carried out fairly rapidly because the castle has been closed for four years and people are concerned about its structure.

I reiterate the point Kinsale History Society wants me to make regarding its vision for the use of this building as an interpretative centre commemorating the world-famous Battle of Kinsale of 1601, such a famous event in both Irish and wider European history in terms of the impact it had Europe-wide. There is a fantastic opportunity here to enhance Kinsale as a tourism town and the gourmet capital of Ireland, a reputation it has rightly earned. As an incredibly attractive and historic destination, too, there is a great opportunity for us to create something in Desmond Castle with an interpretative centre on the Battle of Kinsale of 1601 to complement the already-incredible attraction of Charlesfort, which, as the Minister of State mentioned, attracts 100,000 visitors per year. Will either the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW or departmental officials meet the Kinsale History Society to at least discuss the group’s proposals for the castle?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I again thank the Deputy for raising this important matter of the future of Desmond Castle in Kinsale. As I said, this is a complex project with several elements, all of which will have to come together when work starts on the site. Appointing the specialist design team is the first step in the process, which has begun. While it was anticipated the repair and conservation project would be well advanced at this stage, the impact of the pandemic on work programmes and the redirection of internal resources cannot be overstated. Work has commenced on assembling the full design team, however, and I assure the Deputy progress is being made.

As for the question on engagement, I will bring his concerns to the Minister of State, although I am sure all necessary engagements will be carried out. The OPW expects the repair works contract will be carried out by external contractors, with particular conservation elements undertaken by the OPW's skilled workforce.

The target is to have the full design process under way and potentially completed by this year. The OPW appreciates the importance of the castle locally and it is not ideal that the property has remained closed to visitors. The completion of the design phase of the project was also impacted by the pandemic, as I stated, and the OPW’s internal resources came under pressure. However, the OPW sees an opportunity to consider the site afresh, with a view to interpreting its varied history and bringing it to the attention of more visitors to the region. The design phase of the project, therefore, will bring a new focus on the history of the property, with the 1601 rebellion perhaps being a central theme that can be explored.

I thank Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan for raising this important matter. I will relay all of the Deputy’s comments to the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW.