Department pays €175,000 for historical Portumna building
The State has purchased the historic Gate Lodge in Portumna for a sum of €175,000.
The purchase price was confirmed to the Connacht Tribune by a spokesperson in the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht.
Negotiations between the Department, and the semi-state forestry body, Coillte Teo, regarding the purchase of the property, concluded recently and the building is now in public ownership.
A spokesperson confirmed that the Lodge will be restored with the Office of Public Works (OPW), “in the context of improving overall visitor and guide infrastructure at Portumna Castle.”
“With the Waterways Ireland investment in recent years in Portumna and the continued and proposed invested in Portumna Castle, Park and the Lodge, this is further evidence of the Department’s commitment to our regional heritage assets in the context of Ireland 2040,” a spokesperson confirmed.
The detached three-bay single-storey former gate lodge was built in 1860 and is now used as an office. Portumna Castle is already owned by the State and is managed by the OPW.
Negotiations with Coillte, with a view to the State buying the property, had been ongoing for months. National and local politicians had called on the Department to purchase the property, so that it didn’t fall into private ownership.
Minister of State, Sean Canney, an Independent TD in Galway East, welcomed confirmation this week that the land transfer has been completed, meaning “its future is secure”.
“This is excellent news for Portumna. The Gate Lodge is an integral part of Portumna Castle and it was vital that it should be secured to enhance the tourist offering there. There have been great improvements at the Castle recently with the Office of Public Works opening the café and courtyard building.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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