Funding for the conservation of historic round towers on private lands is to be sought from the government.
Cllr Tom Mulhall had a motion before the monthly meeting of Laois County Council seeking the funding.
He said private landowners bear the brunt of of the costs and responsibilities for the protection of such buildings.
There are up to 30 tower houses in Laois alone, including Morette, Lea Castle in Portarlington and the remains of a structure in Timahoe.
He recalled the incident in which the remains of 13th century Coolbanagher Castle near Emo was damaged and then bulldozed, following a storm.
Storm
A section of the house blew down during Storm Darwin in 2014 which eventually led to the entire building being bulldozed.
A ‘funding stream’ is required for landowners with such properties on their land.
Recalling the incident at Coolbanagher he said: “When part of it blew down in the storm, the owner hired a contractor, who put it into one big pile of stone. That was the finish of Coolbanagher, which had been there for 800 or 900 years. It was there in Norman times and most of these castles are that age,” he said.
“I am calling on the minister to keep them safe and provide funding,” he said of the local round towers.
Laois County Council should write to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphries requesting funding for round towers on private lands.
His proposal was seconded by Cllr Mary Sweeney.
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