THE TOURISM appeal of JohnstownCastle is to be enhanced even further following an announcement by Brendan Howlin of €2.5 million worth of funding for the castle and gardens.
The Piercestown amenity, which is also home to the AgricultureMuseum, Teagasc and the EPA, is the subject of new legislation which is to be drafted as a matter of urgency to allow the estate to be used for heritage, tourism, amenity and recreational purposes.
Teagast has commissioned a preliminary report to explore the delivery of the project and will now, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works, scope the project, for which €2.5 million has been provided.
The money has been made available through the 2014 Agricultural Estimates.
[Full story in this week’s Echo]