Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare, Ireland's largest Palladian-style country dwelling, has reopened to the public after five years of renovation, writes Joe Humphreys. The £4.8 million renovation project paves the way for the return of the Castletown Federation's painting collection to the house, the interior of which is now being conserved.
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, yesterday said the intention was to keep the house open during such conservation work so it could be appreciated by visitors.
Supported by EU structural funds, the project was started in 1994 after the State assumed responsibility for the house. The first phase was completed the following year. The second phase, involving mechanical, fire-protection, structural and security works, was finished in November. Built about 1722 for the speaker of the Irish House of Commons, William Conolly, the house remained with his family until 1965 when it was bought by Mr Desmond Guinness.
He ran the house in conjunction with the Irish Georgian Society until 1979 when the Castletown Federation took it over. To mark the reopening, soprano Regina Nathan sang I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls. which Ms de Valera said "could well have been written as a signature tune for the house".