Thurles castle can be a royal bargain

A campaign has been launched in Tipperary to purchase a castle in which the ancestors of both Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana once lived.

The Black Castle, which is in the heart of Thurles town centre, has been in private ownership for many years, but it has just gone on the open market along with a commercial building which links it directly to the main square, which will make it very accessible.

Locals want it turned into a visitor attraction and believe it would get a lot of spin-off of business from the nearby Rock of Cashel, which attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year.