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.
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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.
"The cost is €11.25 million, we'll put the whole domain back together. The access now is going back to M4 where people will have the car parking and be able to access the house. Its an important part of the jigsaw," he said.
"We're going to do a master plan for the whole area, and that's working with Kildare County Council, the OPW and other bodies. It's about getting the estate back to where it was. We had a million visitors a year not that long ago. I think it's value for money.
"We've done our appraisals, we've done all the necessary things in relation to put value for money onto this project. I'm quite confident and happy that we've done that."
Social Democrats TD for North Kildare, Aidan Farelly, said it was a wonderful day for the area.
"Fundamentally, we all owe a debt of gratitude to those who spent countless hours campaigning for this. I salute their fortitude and resolve," he said.
"We have an existing future to look forward ro ensuring the potential for this site is maximised."
Jackie De Lacey, a member of the Castletown Gate Protectors Group, was emotional and overwhelmed by the news.
"We've been here for 806 days. It's all been worth it. It's been brilliant," she said.
"It's even better than it was before, because before we didn't own the land, it was only leased or rented. Now we own the land, so now the OPW can do brilliant things."
Dermot Flynn, who belongs to the same group, paid tribute to the role of Minister Moran, saying that two previous OPW ministers had not found a resolution but that he had delivered on his promises.
"The OPW made a big mistake not buying it in the first place. They could have possibly bought it for half of that. We fought very hard for this," he said.
"I'd like to send a message to any other communities that if your green space is under threat, don't take it lying down. If you're coming up against a county council or a government agency, stand your ground. Don't let them take your green space.
"We're running out of green space. So, you know, fight your battle."
