Visitors flock to nenagh castle

Nenagh Castle has enjoyed consistent visitor numbers since its formal reopening in 2012.

Visitors have come from all over the world to inspect the thirteenth century keep and take in the panoramic view of Nenagh and its hinterland from the top floor.
The castle is open Tuesday to Saturday from April to October. Unfortunately, there are currently no plans for Sunday opening owing to funding constraints.
But the records make for positive reading, with an average of 11,500 people visiting the castle in each opening season. 2012 saw the biggest influx, with 15,500 people coming to visit the castle after President Michael D Higgins formally opened it on June 6th.
Local historian Kevin Whelan has been leading guided tours of the castle since then. He said the visitors come mostly from around Ireland and the US, but there has also been many coming from Australia and Canada. The genealogy records at nearby Nenagh Heritage Centre were a primary attraction for many, he said.
After that, smaller amounts of visitors have come to Nenagh Castle from the UK, and from Germany, Holland, France and elsewhere in mainland Europe. And, just last week, Mr Whelan said a group of 80 Brazilian students arrived as part of a University of Limerick initiative.
A large volume of groups such as historical societies, active retirement associations, and school tours also visit the castle. Mr Whelan – who also runs popular historical walking tours of Nenagh – begins his caslte tour outside the keep. He talks about the Butlers of Ormond and the O'Kennedys, and depicts the social history of the time, informing visitors about the customs, food, and entertainment pursuits of Nenagh's forefathers.
Mr Whelan finds people are fascinated about the local history. Irish visitors are generally amazed at how little they know about times past, while Americian visitors are enthralled with how far back our history goes. Visitors love to explore the four floors of the keep, and spend a long time taking in the views from the top. Mr Whelan also encouarges them to visit the heritage centre across the road and the tourist office at Banba Square.
The tour guide pointed out that the castle grounds are regularly used for picnics now. A community event – the 'People's Picnic' – will take place on the grounds on August 29th.
A poetry night is also to be held in the castle next October as part of the Dromineer Literary Festival. And Mr Whelan said the castle is now available for wedding party photos as well.
He would like to see more done with the attraction, such as including costumed mannequins and some period furniture. With such excellent interior acoustics, it could also be used to host music. Mr Whelan would also like to see the long-standing scaffolding removed from the Bachelor's Walk side of the site, and he suggested that the opening schedule could be reviewed.
Mr Whelan has facilitated the Nenagh Castle visitor experience with several interns through the JobBridge scheme.
Nenagh Municipal District Director Services Marcus O'Connor said there are no plans to extend the opening schedule beyond Tuesday-Saturday at the moment. Opening on Sunday would require additional funding.
Mr O'Connor pointed out that most other historical buildings are supported by the OPW or Fáilte Ireland, whereas the castle opening is facilitated through the local council's resources. He also pointed out that the castle grounds are open to the public every day.
With no admission charge, Nenagh Castle is open 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4.30pm (last admission at 3.45pm). Guided tours last 30-40 minutes.