Castle Saunderson slips from Top 10 'At Risk' list
Hope Castle and Market House, built circa 1795 – 1870 in the townland of Onomy, has been vacant for a number of years, and according to the An Taisce website “does not appear to be maintained”.
The historic Castle Saunderson building near Belturbet has slipped from its spot on An Taisce's Top 10 list of most 'at-risk' buildings that could potentially fall into further disrepair.
Replacing Castle Saunderson in top 10 'at-risk' list is a property in Co Monaghan- Hope Castle and Market House in Castleblayney.
The list, compiled annually by An Taisce highlights the status of heritage buildings, most of which are already on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. They say the assessment of “risk” is directly associated with the condition of the structure and not the external processes affecting a property.
Hope Castle and Market House, built circa 1795–1870 in the townland of Onomy, has been vacant for a number of years, and according to the An Taisce website “does not appear to be maintained”.
They add: “Most of the external fabric remains, but there are obvious signs of deterioration, such as water penetration, slipped slates, vegetation growth, broken windows and vandalism. There is no immediate danger of collapse but the condition is such that unless urgent remedial works are carried out the building will sharply deteriorate.”
The assessment by the National Trust charity is that the condition of the structure is “poor” and the risk of further neglect is deemed “high”.
They recommend therefore that the building be repurposed for residential, commercial, or even community use.
Once again Carrickglass Demesne in Longford and Carstown House in Louth are included in the top 10 'at-risk' list.
In respect of Castlesaunderson, the castle house itself, yard buildings and other structures on the demesne as well as some acreage, are owned by Cavan County Council; while the forest is owned by national forestry agency, Coillte; and the International Scouting Centre site by Scouting Ireland.
In recent years attempts have been made to secure the castle building site, and developing the surrounding grounds.
A series of walkways have been installed by Cavan County Council, who also facilitated a floating jetty and other works along the River Finn.
The property was last reviewed by An Taisce back in August 2019, and the recommendation for the building is “Conservation/Management”.