Athlone Castle gets €2m funding boost

The Athlone Castle refurbishment project has received a major shot in the arm in the form of a grant worth over €2.07 million from Fáilte Ireland, it emerged this week. It’s certainly great news for Athlone Town Council which was due to bear the brunt of the cost of the improvements, estimated to be in the region of €3 million. The castle has been closed for this year’s summer season amid annoyance from the public that it won’t be complete in time to mark its 800th anniversary, but after a number of delays the long-planned revamp is finally expected to begin in December and continue for five months. Fáilte Ireland approved the grant of €2,070,038 to develop the roles currently performed by the castle through improvements to the infrastructure of the Castle, the use of modern interpretive technologies and methods and the enhancement of the stories portrayed. The project involves an array of civil works at the castle, along with the installation of new visitor displays and audiovisual content. Welcoming the news this week, Deputy Mary O’Rourke said along with the Shannon, the bridge and St Peter and Paul’s Church, Athlone Castle is an iconic part of the town, one that she feels was under-used in the past. She said she was delighted it would now be upgraded for visitors and locals alike. “It’s a terrific wad, a terrific grant for the castle...It’s really a good news story, I’m really pleased that Fáilte Ireland has recognised the pivotal role of tourism in Athlone,” she commented, adding that the project would really improve the interpretative centre and how the story of Athlone is told. “It will open with a bang,” she concluded. Athlone Castle was built in 1210 by John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich, for King John of England. From 1569-1672 it was the headquarters of the Presidents of Connacht and the castle played a major role in the two sieges of Athlone. For almost 300 years the castle served as an extension of the military barracks and in 1970 it was handed over to the Office of Public Works (OPW) and declared a national monument. The castle is jointly managed by the council and the OPW and operates as a visitor centre and museum.