Cork North West Fine Gael TD John Paul O’Shea has welcomed the commitment given to him in the Dáil this week for the continued investment and development of Doneraile Court & Estate, and in particular the re-construction of the Orangery (Conservatory) at Doneraile House.
Deputy O’Shea raised the matter with the Office of Public Works (OPW) through a Parliamentary Question to the Department of Public Expenditure; National Development Plan Delivery and Reform which is the parent department overseeing the operations of the OPW.
Deputy O’Shea said “I am delighted to see plans are proceeding for Doneraile Court & Estate which is one of the tourism gems of North Cork. A Conservation Management Plan (CMP) has been published for Doneraile Court and Estate and this plan identifies the Conservatory (Orangery) as an important structure (built in 1825-6 and taken down in the early 1970’s) as an important missing feature on the site. The OPW have completed a feasibility report exploring the options for the reconstruction and potential uses for the Orangery structure to complement and enhance the current visitor experience at Doneraile. It will be fantastic to see this historical feature put back in place in Doneraile”.
Deputy O’Shea added “In order to now advance the project, the OPW is in the process of developing the Preliminary Business Case required under the Public Spending Code with a view to appointing a design team to develop a scheme to bring to planning and then follow on to construction”.
Doneraile Court and Estate came into the care of the OPW in 1994 and over the last 30 years or so, significant investment has been made in the conservation and presentation of the estate. In 2023, Doneraile attracted over half a million visitors (523,800) to the parkland with over 9,000 ticketed visitors to the house.
In recent years, the OPW has invested considerably in the restoration of Doneraile Court. In 2019, the ground floor was restored and opened to the public with the gardens opening in 2020. In 2023, the first-floor restoration was completed with the House fully opened to include improved access with a lift and a changing places facility.
In 2024, works included the restoration of the gates to the Haggard and American Gardens, site access and improvement works to the Estate and new planting in the formal gardens and woodlands.
Deputy O’Shea concluded “Works underway and planned for 2025 include repairs to the boundary wall, additional garden works, renewal of some of the interior exhibits and the upgrading of the public bathrooms. There is huge public support out there for Doneraile Court & Estate and I am looking forward to seeing plans and works progress here over the year so we can make Doneraile Court & Estate more attractive that it is and to continue its popularity on the Tourism stage for North Cork”.
