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Press release

"An exciting plan for a more inclusive, shared future”: Minister Patrick O’Donovan launches visionary plans for Dublin Castle

100 years after the handover of Dublin Castle to the provisional Irish Government, Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Patrick O’Donovan will today launch a new strategic vision for Dublin Castle. The Strategic Framework Plan, commissioned by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and funded by Fáilte Ireland, sets out a long-term vision for the Castle complex. It aims to enhance accessibility, create a new integrated relationship between the Castle and the city, improve visitors’ experiences and promote tourism.

Led by the OPW in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Strategic Framework Plan has identified seven zones in the Castle’s grounds to reimagine Dublin Castle’s place within the city. It is the result of a comprehensive study of the opportunities and challenges presented by the site, carried out by Grafton Architects, as part of a multidisciplinary team led by the interpretative consultants, Bright.

Ahead of the launch, Minister for the OPW Patrick O’Donovan said:

“Dublin Castle is a hugely significant site in the life of the nation, a site of national and cultural memory we treasure. As this centenary year draws to a close which saw the celebration of 100 years since the handover of Dublin Castle to the Irish Government, this Strategic Framework Plan sets out a clear vision for how Dublin Castle will continue to be a heart of our capital city in future. I would like to thank the entire integrated design team for all their tremendous work in helping us to re-imagine what the coming century should bring for this ancient Castle at the heart of our State and our story. The Castle belongs to the people of Ireland and this plan will endeavour to keep it at the centre of all future events of significance in our capital.”

The Strategic Plan supports the regeneration developments currently underway by Dublin City Council for the Werburgh St. and Cork Hill areas, ensuring Dublin Castle will be firmly placed at the heart of the historic core of Dublin and its local communities. Funding has been committed to the Chester Beatty for their future plans while the OPW, together with Fáilte Ireland, have secured funding for the redevelopment of the Castle’s Record Tower and Visitor Hub.

Welcoming the Plan’s publication, Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, said:

“Preserving our past so we can share it with future generations is hugely important to my department. This plan will unlock Dublin Castle and democratise its use for the people of Ireland. I look forward to seeing the framework develop at each stage of the process.”

Dublin Castle is also an important attraction for visitors to Dublin and to Ireland with visitor numbers nearly tripling between 2012 and 2018. Work has recently begun on the development of the Record Tower as a new visitor offering that will present and interpret the Castle’s medieval history and stories.

Mary Stack, Director of Product Development Attractions at Fáilte Ireland said:

“Fáilte Ireland is pleased to support the development of Dublin Castle which will add to the diverse heritage tourism offering in the capital. Bringing the story of this iconic building to life through the various elements outlined in this framework will help entice domestic and international visitors to visit Dublin, explore the city and stay for longer for many years to come.”

Yvonne Farrell at Grafton Architects said:

“We are delighted to have had this opportunity to work alongside the OPW, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, to develop this Strategic Framework Plan for Dublin Castle. Responding to the aspirations of the OPW and the Dublin Castle Team, the plan aims to establish a strong footing for strategic decision making, enabling a coherent approach to future sustainable development at the Castle site.

"As a team, we feel privileged to have been selected to provide a vision for the future of this complex site, vested with such a rich historical past, witness to so many key events in our collective, social, cultural, political and economic life, the many layers of which are still evident and immediately palpable.

"We look forward to seeing the various aspects of the vision realised over time, protecting the cultural value of the site, making it more accessible to users, visitors and a wider public.”

Development of the plan involved close collaboration by a multidisciplinary team led by Bright, a design consultancy with vast experience bringing environmental heritage to life, alongside Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects, archaeologist Con Manning, Laura Murtagh of Storyline, and Grafton Architects.

As various parts of the Strategic Framework Plan are implemented over the coming years, relevant planning applications will be submitted and a public consultation carried out as appropriate.

The full Strategic Framework Plan can be viewed and downloaded here: Dublin Castle Strategic Framework Plan

For further information, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie. Photographs from the launch will be available from Maxwell Photography at office@maxwellphotography.ie

For further information and photographs, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

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Notes

Office of Public Works (OPW) Heritage Services is responsible for Ireland’s most important heritage sites. Iconic sites ranging from the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary to Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast are just some of the stunning 780 heritage sites in our care. At the 70 OPW heritage sites with visitor services, we work hard to present them to their best potential, making sure that we give visitors from Ireland and abroad the best experience we possibly can.

Our team of dedicated experts look after the buildings, landscapes and collections entrusted to us and make them available to over 12 million visitors each year to learn from and enjoy. Every day we work to make Ireland proud of the fabric of its history.

Fáilte Ireland's role is to support the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural, and environmental contribution of tourism to Ireland. Tourism is of critical importance to the national economy and to regional development and employment. Pre-COVID, the sector generated revenue of €7.5 billion annually and supported 260,000 jobs nationwide while contributing €1.7 billion to the Exchequer.

We work in partnership with Government, State agencies, Local Authorities, representative groups and industry, to develop tourism across Ireland by creating destination development plans and networks, investing in infrastructure, activities, visitor attractions and festivals. Fáilte Ireland also provides consumer and buyer insights, mentoring, business supports and training programmes and buyer platforms to help tourism businesses innovate and grow.

In addition, Fáilte Ireland supports Business Tourism, managing the bidding for and securing of larger conferences, meetings and events to be hosted in Ireland.

We are also responsible for domestic holiday marketing across four regional experience brands: Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Dublin.

Grafton Architects are a world-renowned, Irish architectural practice founded in 1978. Among their many accolades are winning the inaugural World Architecture Festival’s World Building of the Year in 2008; curating the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018; being awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2020; and the 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize. Grafton Architects worked together with civil and structural engineering consultants Arup and the Quantity Surveyors Kerrigan Sheanon Newman (KSN) in drafting their proposals for the Dublin Castle Strategic Framework Plan.

Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects are a practice with more than 20 years’ experience focusing on urban landscape design and landscape planning. They have received awards from the Irish Landscape Institute and Irish Planning Institute for projects such as Sir John Roberts Square in Waterford, and have recently completed work at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin and Nano Nagle Place, Cork.

Con Manning worked as an archaeologist from 1978, and as a senior archaeologist from 1986, with the National Monuments Service, until his retirement in 2017. During this period, he directed both rescue excavations and excavations prior to conservation at many sites around the country including the Aran Islands, Co. Galway; The Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary; Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly; and Dublin Castle.

Laura Murtagh has almost ten years of experience delivering imaginative, engaging content for cultural heritage projects in Ireland, the UK and the US. Projects on which she has led the content on include GPO Witness History in Dublin, the Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, and Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens in Cork.

Bright have been designing distinctive visitor experiences that bring cultural, natural and environmental heritage to life since 2004. Based in Edinburgh, their work incorporates interpretive planning, brand strategy and interior, graphic and interpretive content design. Their projects range from visitor centres, museums, heritage sites and outdoor trails to cafe, retail and commercial environments and include Killarney House & Gardens (National Parks & Wildlife Service), Pearse Cultural Centre Connemara (Udúras na Gaeltachta), Kilkenny Medieval Mile Museum (Kilkenny County Council), Tower Bridge Engine Rooms (City of London Corporation).