Written answer
Departmental Funding
The OPW received up to €262,500 in Just Transition Fund support for a feasibility study on Corlea Trackway and its visitor centre, with a final report expected by the end of 2026. No redevelopment plans or start date are confirmed; any future project depends on the study’s findings, funding and statutory consent.
66. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his plans for the Corlea Trackway; the timeline of implementation; the funding available; and to confirm a start date for the project. [66930/26]
Comment on this
Corlea Trackway is an Iron Age roadway, or togher, located near Keenagh in County Longford and dating from approximately 148 BC. It is one of the most significant surviving examples of an Iron Age wooden trackway in Europe, with an 18-metre section of the original structure preserved and displayed at the Visitor Centre. This National Monument is cared for and managed by the Office of Public Works. The Visitor Centre provides an important opportunity for the public to experience and learn about this exceptional archaeological monument. It opens seasonally each year from March to November and welcomed 19,537 visitors in 2024, and 22,082 visitors in 2025, an increase of 13% on the previous year.
In 2024, the Office of Public Works made an application under the European Union Just Transition Fund programme for funding to develop potential options for the future development of Corlea Trackway and Visitor Centre. Grant funding of up to €262,500 was subsequently awarded under the Fund to support a feasibility assessment exploring options for the future development of the site and its interaction with the wider destination. This is development funding and is not a capital allocation for the construction of a new or redeveloped visitor centre.
The current phase focuses on developing and evaluating options for the future of the Visitor Centre, alongside consideration of the long-term conservation and presentation of the Iron Age Trackway. It will help establish the appropriate approach, scope and estimated costs for any potential future works.
Following a competitive procurement process, Hall McKnight Architects was appointed to provide professional services for this phase. The feasibility and options work is currently being progressed, with the final report expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
At this stage, it is premature to confirm plans for future development. The outcome of the current phase will inform consideration of any future proposals that would have to be developed inline with the Infrastructure Guidelines. Any such projects would be subject to availability of funding and statutory consent.
I would like to reassure you that the OPW continues to provide excellent conservation and care of the Corlea Trackway through its specialised staff, with ongoing monitoring, surveying and conservation management of the monument. We work closely with our colleagues in the National Monuments Service in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ensure that this rare and important monument is preserved and protected for generations to come.
The OPW will consider the recommendations arising from the feasibility study with its project partners and determine the appropriate next steps for the future of the Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre.