Calls to restore north Kildare landmark to make it a major tourism attraction for Ireland's Ancient East

The Wonderful Barn in Leixlip could be a major tourist attraction for Ireland's Ancient East if the right renovation works were carried out in the surrounding area, according to one local councillor. Sinn Féin Cllr Íde Cussen has called on Kildare County Council to perform major upgrades to the site that would help to make it a tourist destination, while Fine Gael Cllr Joe Neville is also bringing a motion to council that mirrors that of Cussen. The Wonderful Barn is believed to have been built in 1743 on the edge of the Castletown Estate and is eye-catching due to the corkscrew design of the building. There has been money spent on the site to erect railings to discourage anti-social behaviour in the area, but the grounds surrounding the structure have fallen into disrepair in recent years. Cllr Cussen is asking the council to re-arrange the existing access way to merge with the historic entrance spatial sequence and to integrate parking facilities. She has also immediate consolidation and eventual restoration of the historic buildings, the reinstatement of the walled garden and rear courtyard and the insertion of complementary commercial uses to ensure a sustainable future for the project. One of the more eye-catching points of her motion is the call for the creation and promotion of either a Discovery Park in the Wonderful Barn Parkland for the residents of North Kildare, or a large playground on the scale of St Catherine’s Park with an adjacent Skateboard park.