Crumbling castles pose conundrum for council
Cllr Ger Darcy (FG) this week brought the council’s attention to a problem with Ardcroney Castle, where large stones have started to fall from the its remains.
He said the 17th century castle posed a danger to people visiting the nearby graveyard, pointing out that there was a funeral at the graveyard as recently as last Saturday.
Cllr Darcy told a meeting of the council this week that the north-eastern side of the castle suffered severe frost damage last winter, leaving a large crack in the structure.
Area engineer Kieran Callanan said the council would need to establish ownership before any works could be carried out on the historic structure. Erecting signage may be an interim possibility, he said.
However, Cllr Darcy said the council took charge of a number of old graveyards in the 1950s and 1960s and paid a committee to maintain the graveyard at Ardcroney. He said he had written to the council about the matter and hoped “common sense” would prevail.
Cllr Jim Casey (FF) mentioned a similar problem with Ballyfinboy Castle near Borrisokane, where he said a “big chunk” fell from the 15th century structure about a month ago. While located on private land, he said Ballyfinboy Castle overlooks a public road.
Area manager Marcus O’Connor stressed the need to establish ownership of the historic structures. He said there were a lot of these in the Nenagh area, many of which may require work.
Cllr Darcy urged the council to quickly establish ownership: “If someone was killed, a lot of people would be trying to find out who owned them then.”
