The State has agreed a deal to purchase the lands around Castletown House in Co Kildare which will likely bring an end to a two-year standoff that led to the closure of public parking and access at the heritage site.
Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Kevin 'Boxer' Moran confirmed that he has secured an agreement to buy the land surrounding the historic estate which will restore a major access route, public parking and double the size of the parklands surrounding the historic house.
He said the cost of the land deal was €11.25 million had been approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform because of the strategic importance of the land to the State.
The State is purchasing 235 acres in addition to the 237 acres already in State ownership.
Mr Moran said he hopes that works to restore the entrance and car park will begin almost immediately and that it will be fully open by next year.
In September 2023, following the private sale of nearby land, an entrance and car park near the M4 was closed to the public and OPW staff.
New access routes were proposed by the OPW near Celbridge village, but some locals objected and this group, who called themselves the Gatekeepers, kept a presence at the gates.
That led to most OPW staff not accessing the 250-acre site and the grounds not being fully maintained for almost 18 months until a deal to allow some access to service vehicles was reached in May of this year.
The following month, around €500,000 in damage was caused to vehicles and facilities at a site used by the Office of Public Works to allow their staff to access Castletown House in Celbridge in Co Kildare.
Four vehicles were overturned, a construction vehicle was driven into a river, and wires on four CCTV units were cut on the lands of Donaghcumper House over a Bank Holiday weekend.
The dispute over access caused division in the Kildare community with various groups forming to try and secure the full reopening of the site which is regards as one of Kildare's main visitor attractions.
Mr Moran said he was delighted with the development which he had committed to trying to achieve since he entered office in February of this year. He also paid tribute to the dedication and resilience of the OPW staff at Castletown over recent years.
