The owners of Lissadell House in Co Sligo, the former home of Countess Markievicz, are to receive a €1.1 million State grant towards refurbishment of its gardens.
The balance of funding for the redevelopment of the gardens will be raised partly through admission charges for visitors. However, a condition of the grant is that tourists have access at a reasonable charge.
Senior counsel Eddie Walsh, co-owner of the house with his wife Constance Cassidy, said yesterday that, as a result of the new funding, they would be able to fast-track major improvements.
The grant from Fáilte Ireland was made under its tourism-product development scheme. It amounts to 45 per cent of the cost of reclaiming and developing the gardens.
Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue said the gardens would be a significant visitor attraction and an important tourism asset.
A spokeswoman for Fáilte Ireland said: "The heritage value of Lissadell garden means this is a flagship project which has the potential to build up attracting at least 50,000 visitors a year in the northwest."
She said every year the owners would have to agree admission times and prices with Fáilte Ireland.
"The project was fully evaluated and the decision to award the funding of 45 per cent of eligible expenditure on the garden was taken by the independent tourism-product development board."
Mr Walsh, who acquired the 400-acre Lissadell estate and some of its contents for €4.55 million more than two years ago, said it was more than 100 years since anybody came to see the gardens. "They have been on the downward slope for more than 60 years and were overgrown."
He said the refurbishment included restoring the Alpine garden, a regency-style walled garden, and the glasshouse complex.
He anticipated that the work would be completed within 18 months.