Offical news page of Charleville Castle

The Struggle to Save Charlevile Castle

The Charleville Castle Heritage Trust is now in control of the destiny of the Castle. The Charleville Castle heritage trust is a voluntary not-for-profit organisation (a company limited by guarantee registered in ireland and charity – NGO) managed by Dudley Stewart with a team of core volunteers. The day-to-day running is handled by volunteers, who come from countries including France, Canada, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, as well as other parts of Ireland to help out at the castle.

Charleville Castle is at the center of a large demesne of over 2,000 acres owned by the Charleville Estate Company. This company also retains ownership of the coachyard and stables block which is attached to the castle – actualy an integral part of the originional building. The saving of Charleville Castle is the outcome of an epic struggle of volunteers – it is not over yet – much lies ahead. In spite of the huge local, and international involvement, the effort to save the castle as remained complex and delicate. The effort has absorbed major blows of opposition from powerful interests and land owners. It is as if some people simply want this part of ireland’s history wiped out and forgotten – bulldozed! Certainly, it can be said that without the voluntary creation of the Charleville Castle Heritage Trust would be but a heap of rubble today. As evidence one only has to visit the coachyard and stable block which continues to decay. But as long as the castle remans intact the coachyard can be rebuilt – as long as the castle stays intact the Land Unit in which it stands will remain protected “of international cultural interest” under the Granada Convention. This is the task which remans with the volunteers – into the future.

The castle is the direct outcome of grand andmagnamous ideas following the brutal suppression of a terrible and bloody insurrection which engulfed Ireland in 1798 and almost caused the collapse of the British Monarchial System. It was built around the concepts of hope, belief in the future and humanity – on the fronteers of civilisation. This is its heritage – these are the values which preserved within this great edifice  these are the ideals underwhich the ethos of volunteership have developed, and are sustained, in modern times – Global sustainability, Peace and the Betterment of Life on Earth – a vision deep into the far off future,