A €270,000 upgrade of Ormond Castle in Co Tipperary has been unveiled by the Office of Public Works and Fáilte Ireland.
The investment was used to develop a new interpretative scheme at the Carrick-on-Suir landmark, which is part of Ireland's Ancient East, following a recent restoration of the castle's physical structure.
According to the OPW, the interpretative project and new exhibition will "greatly enhance" the visitor experience at Ormond Castle.
The building is part of the Butler Trail of great homes in the southeast which also includes Kilkenny Castle and Cahir Castle.
More funding is planned by Fáilte Ireland into Ormond Castle to improve its site, which is close to the centre of Carrick-on-Suir.
Heritage Commissioner with the OPW, John McMahon, said the castle is "the best example of an Elizabethan manor house in Ireland and the only major unfortified dwelling from the Tudor period still in existence".
Ormond Castle was built by Thomas Butler, the 10th Earl of Ormond, in the 1560s. "The castle plasterwork, regarded as of the finest decorative plasterwork in Ireland, is testament to Butler's close relationship with Queen Elizabeth I," Mr McMahon said.
The new interpretative scheme allows visitors explore and engage with the stories and characters associated with Ormond Castle, with interactive digital books on Tudor lecterns providing information in eight languages on the paintings; the OPW's restoration and the heraldic symbolism on the plaster ceilings, friezes and stone-carved mantelpieces.
Orla Carroll, director of product development with Fáilte Ireland, said it's "incredibly important" to give overseas tourists more reasons to visit Ireland and Ormond Castle is one of 47 large capital projects countrywide which is being worked on, to this end.
"Investing in Ormond Castle made perfect sense as there is huge potential to encourage visitors to explore Carrick-on-Suir and the surrounding towns and landscape, enhancing tourism benefits for the entire region," she said.
Ormond Castle is open to the public until 3 November.
Fáilte Ireland is spending €16 million in 18 OPW sites to enhance visitor experiences around the country.
Others include the record tower at Dublin Castle, Newgrange, Glendalough, Boyne Valley, the Céide Fields in Mayo, and the Blasket Islands.
