In The News
The campaign has been building since summer 2026, and it’s being noticed — at home, abroad, and on the floor of the Dáil.
Reopen Dunguaire Castle
Reopen Dunguaire Castle
The campaign so far
Over 4,280 QR-code scans
49 countries and 310 cities, from Auckland to Rio, Taipei to Seattle
Over 1,434 emails sent to decision-makers
Three mentions in the Dáil and three in the Seanad
Ongoing support from local representatives and media
Coverage
IrishCentral - June 2026
The American-Irish outlet covered the closure in detail, drawing the contrast between the €60 million approved for new council offices and the roughly €2 million needed to reopen the castle.
Read the article here
The Clare Champion - 2025 and 2026
Ran the story more than once, from “Deadlock at Dunguaire” to a recent piece describing the closed castle at the gateway to the Burren as an embarrassment, noting thousands of petition signatures.
Read the article here
Connacht Tribune - June 2026
Reported the Council CEO confirming that formal funding requests had so far been unsuccessful, and that work continues to secure the castle’s future.
Read the article here
Galway Bay FM
Covered councillors’ warnings that the closure is a major blow to local tourism and jobs.
Listen to the segment here
Raised in the Dáil
The closure has been raised directly in Dáil Éireann, including by Deputy Louis O’Hara, who has pressed the Government on why funding was found for Clare’s castles and asked for the same to be done for Dunguaire.
The latest
Galway County Council has advised councillors that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, together with the Office of Public Works, is now exploring the acquisition of title to Dunguaire Castle.
That’s genuine progress, and we welcome it. But an exploration isn’t a plan. There’s no timeline and no commitment yet. What turns this into a reopening is a clear, public plan with real dates, and that’s what we’ll keep asking for.