Ancestral call of the castle — if it can be found or isn’t being threatened by a motorway

AS a fifth-generation descendant of Ireland, I always had a calling to visit my ancestral roots.

During a recent holiday I decided to realise this ambition by putting aside a few days to visit areas linked to my past. To the best of my knowledge, I am the first of my family to visit since my great-great-grandfather’s departure in the 1800s.

One of the sites that I wished to visit was the O’Leary Castle of Carrigacurra, near Inchigeela in Co Cork. This proved to be more difficult than I had imagined given the lack of local signage and identification on tourist maps.

I did find it eventually. It is in a very good state of repair given its overgrown surroundings. However, I was unsure whether or not I was permitted to access the structure and surrounding land. I found these issues to be common with other castles in the Lee Valley area, in particular Carrigaphooka, which was also locked. Fortunately, a local farmer permitted me to gain access to this registered national monument. However, I was shocked to learn that there are plans to build a multi-lane highway through the valley right in front of the castle. This will surely destroy the natural beauty of the area, as well as having a detrimental effect on the castle itself. Speaking to Irish people I have met in England, I had always believed the Irish were proud of their heritage. An act such as this would prove otherwise.

Kevin O’Leary

Sunnyside Cottage

Town Street

Shiptonthorpe

East Yorkshire

England