Preparations are underway to open a visitor centre at the site of the Battle of the Boyne in County Meath.
The visitor centre will be officially opened next Tuesday by Bertie Ahern at what will be his last function before stepping down as Taoiseach. Bertie Ahern will be joined at the opening by Rev Ian Paisley.
Visitors to the centre will be able to see a reproduction of the famous Jan Wyck painting of the Battle of the Boyne. There will also be displays representing King James and King William. A stable house and courtyard will house audiovisual displays.
Weapons from the period will also be on display.
The visitor centre is due to open to the public with an admission fee of €3.75. However, it will be free to walk around the 500 acres of the Oldbridge Estate.
Eugene Keane, Office of Public Works project manager on the site, says that there has been great interest in the centre from the public. Tour bookings have been coming in for throughout the summer months. Eugene Keane believes that the centre is a guaranteed success and there maybe a need to revise upwards the projected 100,000 people who will visit the centre each year.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 May 2008. The reporter is Richard Dowling.
