Before I go any further with my pursuit of the preservation of the castle, I suppose I should share my vision and purpose with all of you. After all, the castle is not just a personal affectation; each and every one of you owns a piece of the heritage that the pile of stones in northern Co. Cork represents; each of us can trace our own, very personal story back into the antiquity of that Norman fort. Any one of us could hire a Cork realtor and attempt to purchase the castle from Mr. Barry for him or herself and the castle would once more be in the hands of a Magner. None of us have. It probably has negative value. Its not in a particularly desireable location and the area isnt a exactly hotbed of industry, commerce or tourism. Moreove, rural Ireland is not a wise bet for land prospecting at the moment. It would carry a significant tax burden and, even if it were fully restored along the lines of Dáithí Magners plans, it would probably never generate enough revenue to justify the investment. So, before we (I) jump further into the HOW to acquire it, it begs asking WHY we would acquire it and what wed do with it once we had it. For me, the answer to WHY is easy. Because. How many people in this day and age can trace their lineage to an actual genesis? We are each descendents of and, therefore, heir to a clearly defineable moment in history - the moment that a man named Magnel was granted lands and a castle in the northern part of County Cork by a man named Barry, our story began. WHY? Because once the castle is demolished to make way for a road or a gas station or a shopping center, we become detached from that place; our story becomes orphaned, and we become a group of people with the same last name. That pile of stones is not an old tale or a good story - it is real and physical. It is Magnels castle and has been so for more than 700 years. Until it isnt anymore. So, what can be done? My vision is simple, but difficult to achieve. I envision the castle being granted from a man named Barry once more to the Clan that carries Magnels legacy, to be placed in an historic preservation trust, to preserve that story - the story of of the cooperation of two families, Barry and Magner, across the centuries. The pitch to Mr. Barry is as follows: Phase 1: The conveyance from him to the historic trust would likely net him a considerable tax benefit anyway, but, if the story could be captured in a documentary film, it could also render his lands more valuable by association. We would create the trust/conservancy, he would transfer the deed to the conservancy in a public ceremony (with much pomp and circumstance and of course, captured on film). We then erect a permanent sign or marker on the site commemorating the Barrys and their affiliation with the local area. Phase 2: We bring in a team of Archaeologists to excavate the site. The Castle was built on the ruins of an ancient Celtic fort and has been largely undisturbed in modern times. It is plausible that such an excavation would yield valuable artifacts and we would agree to split the prize, if any, with Mr. Barrys family. The rest would be used to fund a restoration effort. Phase 3: We apply for grants from the Irish government (including grants for the education and training of tradesmen) to have the castle restored, based on the available historical documents. The castle itself would serve as a museum for the artifacts and for the history of the local region. The grounds could be used for local events, weddings, whatever, to generate a stream of revenue to pay for the modest upkeep. Phase 4: We release a documentary film about the entire project, from the history of the area, to the conveyance of the castle to the trust, to the excavation and restoration. If we can sway a National Geographic or a Discovery Channel to take part in the project, it could get national attention, both in Ireland and in the US. BBC might even be interested. Who knows. So, thats my vision and my plan. Ideas, comments and thoughts are very, very welcome.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 00:14:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015