East Cork castle refurbishment costs €1.75m to date

The refurbishment of an East Cork castle has cost the Office of Public Works (OPW) €1.75m so far, a local TD has been told.

Barryscourt Castle in Carrigtwohill dates back to 1392 and was built during the reign of seventh Lord Barry, John Ciotach Barry.

It closed for extensive works in 2016, reopening in April 2025, and received almost 23,000 visitors last year. Figures for 2026 will be published later this year.

Replying to a parliamentary question from Pádraig O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, the minister for public expenditure, Jack Chambers, said the extensive works had so far cost €1.75m.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr O’Sullivan said the redevelopment works had made Barryscourt a strong tourism attraction, and the site now needed to be utilised.

“It’s great to see that nearly 23,000 tourists visited the site since its refurbishment,” he said. “I feel the OPW needs to now harness the potential of the site by looking at the possibility of a market, crafts fair or other ancillary industries that would be appropriate for Barryscourt.”