Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the Senator for giving me the chance to come into the House to speak about this issue. Desmond Castle in Kinsale, or the French Prison as it is sometimes known as, is one of the heritage sites managed by the Office of Public Works, OPW, that perhaps are not well publicised and which deserve a little more attention. They are excellent historical properties in their own right. I am always anxious, as is the OPW, to bring what are called tier 2 and tier 3 sites such as this one more to the fore in order that more people can visit them. This matter is very important from the point of view of local tourism and employment creation.

As the Senator knows, Desmond Castle is closed for urgent conservation works and visitors have been unable to visit since it was shut at the end of last year. When it was open, it was one of 70 visitor sites operated by the OPW and attracted visitors in the region of about 10,000 per year. It was managed by the guide team from Charles Fort, the OPW's other large site located close by in Kinsale. Charles Fort is a major year-round visitor site that attracted over 100,000 visitors last year.

Desmond Castle which was declared a national monument in 1938 has had a varied history.This has led to a lack of clarity about the site at times, which really does not help in trying to market it to visitors. As mentioned, it is currently closed for urgent conservation works. However, it is not immediately apparent what the extent of the problem is or exactly how long it will take to fix it; therefore, we will have to wait for the full conservation architect and structural engineer assessments. While it is closed, the OPW is taking the opportunity to look again at the site and the approach to it in order that we might possibly reposition it as a visitor attraction and in future marketing. When the OPW looked at the issue previously, it met Kinsale Chamber of Commerce to discuss it. However, it struggled at the time to define the site clearly and not much progress was made. The closure offers another opportunity to look at the issue. I can tell the Senator that the theme of the 1601 rebellion has been suggested. Clearly, it will be a strong contender in the future presentation of the site. My officials shortly hope to present the future interpretation and presentation of Desmond Castle site as an application to Fáilte Ireland for funding under its capital investment programme. I know that the OPW has high hopes this approach will bear fruit. I am sure, however, that the strong views and suggestions the Senator has communicated to me this will form a part of the future plans for the castle.