After a long discussion with a representative of An Taisce about methods to save Ballincollig Castle from the grasping urban sprawl and rampant uncontrolled construction of housing estates. The advice was, Patronage and Publicity. Of all things community support, and involvement has no place in the preservation of Irish history and heritage.

And this is what the Irish have become, a nation of Patronage, where politicians travel around the countries like country lords granting ‘Favors’ to the peasants. I thought that the Irish had thrown down the kingships of the English. And yet this is also the reason that many politicians use to deny support the preservation of Castles and heritage sites around the country. “Their English” is the proclamation and should be destroyed as the English were evil.

Well some of these sites predate this presumption and the real reasons are profit for the builder, and brown envelopes for the politicians-Lords.

Even, if any of these sites were locations for English evil, they were built by Irishmen, with Irish hands and from Irish stone. They are Irish to their foundations, and their preservation above the heads of political gain.

This particular Castle history tells an Irish story of a Knight call Coll who sold a castle to a Barrett who held it for nearly 400 years and of it’s fall as one of the last forts of Irish insurgency in the face of Cromwell’s assault on Cork. A castle of almost 800 years of age, and older than Blarney Castle, should be reserved and honored.

But it appears not to be, as Irish politicians seek to gain from it, none will lift a hand to save it, short of coinage in the pocket.

So to preserve Irish heritage, we will have to seek foreign money, the Queens shilling, to preserve an Irish Castle.