An opening date of Tuesday November 6 has been agreed for the re-opening of Athlone Castle following a two and a half year closure for renovations.
Athlone town clerk Hugh O’Reilly said councillors will be given a ‘walk through’ of the castle before their next council meeting on Monday November 5, with the castle then opening to the public the following morning.
However the official opening is not expected to take place until next February to launch the newly revamped castle for the tourist season.
The confirmation came after Cllr Mark Cooney wondered why the castle’s opening was not on the agenda for Monday’s Athlone Town Council meeting.
Athlone Castle has remained closed since spring 2009 to facilitate a €3m regeneration plan. While it had initially been hoped that the extensive renovations would be completed by September 2011, the project has been dogged by delays at every stage, from design to fit-out. The work faced further setbacks this summer due to unseasonably wet weather.
Mr O’Reilly also confirmed that the Luan art gallery should be opening to the public in late November.
