A Future for Irish Historic Houses - Irish Heritage Trust

Lord Mount Charles also points out that the restoration project at Slane alerted him to
many hidden dangers that he had not been aware of. For example, there was rampant
dry rot in the castle. The main beams supporting the ballroom ceiling were completely
rotten where they went into the walls, but there was no visible evidence of the decay
on the outside. Secondly, major renovations that encounter structural engineering
problems are very expensive.
The restoration, carried out over a ten-year period, has been a major success.
Promotional literature for the castle now describes it, with some justification, as ‘a
combination of old charm and modern day comfort’. It is opened to the public for
tours and caters for conferences, banquets and so on.
Photograph courtesy Newsfile
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