LAST UPDATE | 19 Nov 2025

THE OFFICE OF Public Works has acquired lands surrounding Co Kildare’s Castletown House, following a two-year stand-off with locals over vehicular access to the protected building.

Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran confirmed the purchase today. 

The State has purchased some 235 acres of historic estate lands at the Celbridge estate for the price of €11.25m – including an entrance to the estate off the M4, and a public car park which has been closed since 2023.

The OPW made a bid for these lands in excess of the market price of €5 million when it went on sale in 2022, but was outbid by two Kildare-based developers, Killross Properties and Springwood.

The purchase of the lands, which were privately owned, should ease the long-running tensions between the OPW and objectors to its use of a pedestrian avenue for vehicular access to the site.

Speaking after the announcement of the purchase, ‘Boxer’ Moran said he had spoken to some of the ‘gate keepers’ and local groups who had objected to the OPW’s means of accessing the site, and “they’re over the moon”.

He thanked Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers for backing him on the project.

“Boxer gets it done,” he said.

Fine Gael TD Joe Neville said Castletown House should be back open to the public before Christmas with this purchase.

Neville said: “This is an end to an issue of access which had a deep impact on the community and all who loved visiting Castletown House. 235 acres of land surrounding Castletown House was bought by a private purchaser in 2022 and access to the house from the M4 was then restricted.

“As a result of this, visitor numbers to the Castletown House and estate plummeted and a key local amenity was ripped from the heart of North Kildare.”

The next step is to restore the car park at the M4, he said.

The OPW acquired Castletown House, an impressive country house built in 1722, in 1994. Over the past 30 years it has managed to reclaim around 227 acres of the historic grounds in increments.

The OPW has responsibility for maintaining the estate and the house, which is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Staff have a constant presence at the estate.

The OPW has been parking at Donaghcumper House as they claimed to have no vehicular access to Castletown estate, something disputed by locals and protest groups. A previous route and car park used by the OPW closed after it was purchased privately. This has now been acquired by the State in the deal.

With that route closed, the OPW decided to expand its use of a pedestrian route, the Lime Avenue entrance, for its staff and vehicles.

It proposed a new public vehicular access routes and a car park that would be located along the pedestrian walkway – a proposal that was vehemently opposed by many living in the area.

In May, property and vehicles belonging to the OPW were badly damaged at a site used for Castletown House workers.

 The same site was targeted by arson attacks on 22 and 24 April, which impacted outbuildings and staff welfare units.

The OPW walked away from this proposal and outlined other plans to use the pedestrian route in a temporary manner.