Grant funding of over €1.1 million will be made available for the redevelopment and restoration of Mount Congreve Estate, it's been confirmed.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys announced the grant of €1,125,135.
This funding is in addition to €3.7 million granted in 2019 under the Rural Regeneration & Development Fund (RRDF) and Project Ireland 2040.
Michael Quinn, Director of Services for Economic Development with Waterford City and County Council said:
"The additional investment in Mount Congreve House and Gardens is not only guaranteed to deliver a world class visitor centre, but also reaffirm Mount Congreve’s ranking as one of ‘the great gardens of the world.’
Restoration works at Mount Congreve
Upon completion, it's hoped the project will deliver a tourism destination which will attract 150,000 visitors annually.
Works are currently underway to deliver an enhanced visitor experience to the gardens and planted woodlands, which will include improvements to the garden infrastructure, establishment of new plant collections and the installation of creative play features that tell the story of Mount Congreve.
A new purpose-built visitor hub will be developed in the existing courtyard and stables adjacent the eastern wing of the house.
The courtyard area will be covered in a glazed roof, with many of the existing architectural features being retained, and will include a cafe, retail area and visitor facilities. A
As well as this, some works will be undertaken to the Main House, to accommodate a visitor welcome space with reception area, ticketing, orientation and interpretation pre-show.
The new wetlands area is under construction, the carpark area has been fully resurfaced, and works on pathways, interpretation and wayfinding elements are all in progress.
Substantial completion of the project is expected to be achieved by the end of summer, with a soft opening planned for early autumn 2022.
In May, newly appointed Commerical Director of Mount Congreve Estate, Sara Dolan, spoke to Mary O'Neill for WLR's The Hot Desk. You can listen back here.
