Plans to save Menlo Castle take big step

The long-awaited revamp of Menlo Castle on the banks of the River Corrib will take a giant step forward early next year thanks to the allocation of €25,000 towards the project in the Galway City Council Budget for 2014.

This funding will allow the City Heritage Officer, Jim Higgins, to come up with a detailed conservation project for the historic castle, outhouses, and grounds, which, in turn, should result in substantial additional funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht.

Conservation groups including Duchas na Gaillimhe and the Galway Civic Trust have come on board to offer the local authority full support to progress the ill-fated project, over 13 years after Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) were issued for the 17th century site.

A full oral hearing to allow the City Council purchase the castle and grounds from five shareholders took place at the Menlo Park Hotel back in July 2000 and, since then, there have been no moves to preserve the ruins.

An ambitious ‘Celtic Tiger’ plan, which would have seen Dublin-based businessman Noel Smyth develop the site in return for a top floor penthouse, was abandoned three years ago when Mr Smyth’s assets were seized by the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA).

Confirmation that €25,000 has been allocated to the Menlo Castle revamp in the City Council Budget for 2014 – which is due to be adopted today – has been warmly welcomed by long-term campaigner and local resident Cllr Frank Fahy (FG).

Earlier this year, Cllr Fahy called for a full-scale inquiry to be held into the cost and delays surrounding the ill-fated project.

“This €25,000 has been ‘ring fenced’ to start the process of doing a conservation project for Menlo Castle,” Cllr Fahy said yesterday.

“It will allow the Heritage Officer to draw up a comprehensive conservation, which can be submitted to the Dept of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht. There is funding available for the revamp of listed buildings, once we have finalised a conservation plan.”

Cllr Fahy said the funding had been allocated for the monument, gate lodge, and castle – he hoped that work could proceed on the gate lodge in the short-term.

Cllr Fahy said he was delighted that Duchas na Gaillimhe have come on board to progress the work through a community employment scheme, while Galway Civic Trust have already played a key role in revamping two iconic city buildings, the Mutton Island lighthouse and the Fisheries Tower, in recent years.