Disabled access to Roscrea Castle needs improvement says campaigner
There was hopes improvements would already be in place for this year's tourist season
Roscrea boasts an embarrassment of riches in terms of sites of historical interest and the jewel in the crown, Roscrea Castle and Damer House, needs urgent improvements for accessibility.
Local historian and campaigner, Charles Lamb from Timoney in Roscrea, told the Tribune he has repeatedly highlighted the dearth of suitable access for people with mobility difficulties and says a lack of joined-up thinking has hamstrung attempts to rectify the situation.
Mr Lamb has a close family relative who used a wheelchair and is more acutely aware of shortfalls in accessibility than the average person.
"The people of Roscea continue to be let down by the lack of emphasis on encouraging visitors to Roscrea for the past 26 years by the OPW and especially since they received a €2.97-million grant to improve landscaping in the castle courtyard and interpretive centre two years ago," Mr Lamb told the Tribune.
"I stated at a public meeting addressed by George Cunningham during Heritage Week last year that I would try to keep people informed of developments at Damer House and Roscrea Castle.
"In June 2024 the OPW were awarded a €2.97-million grant towards upgrading the visitor experience at Roscrea Castle And Damer House. Roscrea Heritage Society, who has had a Liaison Agreement regarding Heritage developments with the Minister for Heritage since 1999, have been asking the OPW since October 2024 for details of the proposed works,
"I am particularly interested in disabled access because I had a brother in law who had Multiple Sclerosis and needed a wheelchair for over 40 years," Mr Lamb said.
He said Roscrea Heritage Society were hopeful, following a meeting in January 2025 where suggestions for disabled access improvements were presented by Age Friendly Roscrea and submitted to OPW in March of last year, that improvements would already be in place for this year's tourist season.
One of the suggested improvements proposed a lift to the top floor of Damer House to enable everyone to enjoy the building's stunning interior.
Mr Lamb said incomplete proposals to improve wheelchair access with ramps to the side of Damer House and the proposed café in the annex and ground floor of the Castle were provided at a meeting in December 2025.
"These plans were inadequate as no smooth routes were provided between ramps or to the Castle entrance or gardens. Everyone who has had to push a wheelchair across gravel knows it is a hard experience," Mr Lamb said.
He said the local Heritage Society were assured at a meeting last December that the "would be kept in the loop," but added that since then they have not received any drawings or notification of any improvement to the disabled access plans since the meeting.
"Since the start of June Roscrea Heritage were told that contracts would be signed within two weeks and we would be informed. I have endeavoured to do what I could to have disabled access improved, and failed to get any improvements made," Mr Lamb said.