A vital 15th-century tower and bawn castle which survived the Elizabethan age in Cork is set to reopen to the public again.
Finished in the time of King Henry VIII, it made it through battle, plantation and conquest, taking fire from Sir Walter Raleigh and then Oliver Cromwell, before ultimately turning into a cowshed in the 18th century, Cork Beo reports.
CorkBeo got to see inside the castle and at the renovations going on there in October of last year, as a massive restoration project was underway.
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Barryscourt was not too well known in Cork before it shut for a major restoration programme in 2017.
The castle is set to finally re-open to the public - in the summer of 2024.
In response to a Dail question from Cork TD Thomas Gould, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Patrick O’Donovan, said that works are entering the final part and the castle, will reopen again.
Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould said: “People travelling to Ireland from places like America will already be planning Summer 2024 trips. I want to make sure that Barryscourt Castle, and Cork, is a top spot on their itinerary. This redevelopment should be coupled with proposed plans for the Shandon area and the wider Cork region."
It was closed seven years ago as water was entering through the roof and walls.
Masons, carpenters, experts in roofing and the ancient techniques of lime pointing, grouting and rendering have been plying their trade, with the interior now being the main focus.
Project Architect John Geraghty of the Office Of Public Works has been part of the team working on Barryscourt since 2017.
He told Cork Beo: "It was built to be beautiful, by a great and very powerful family, it wasn't just meant to be a castle or place or safety, it was built to make a statement, to be a great house and home for the Barrys," said John.
For the small but dedicated crew working every day on the site, it's been a true labour of love.
"We are very lucky, that we have our own OPW craftsmen that can work full time on projects on this," said John. He added that the skills gained by the OPW staff have been used on other projects including the long-term renovation of the Rock of Cashel.
"The kind of expertise and the experience that they have is very hard to find, it would be very difficult, it not impossible, to do work on this kind of scale on these great historic sites without craftspeople like this working in the OPW."
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