Revamped Kilkenny Castle Playground to re-open this month: OPW

By COLIN BARTLEY

THE much-anticipated €100,000 revamp of Kilkenny Castle playground is almost complete, and the hugely popular facility is set to finally reopen to the public by the end of this month.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) today said they hope the expected good weather over the next week will give them opportunity to complete the upgrade, which has been beset by delays.

An OPW spokesperson told KilkennyNow.ie: “All the equipment is currently installed, the new wheelchair roundabout is in, the sensory walls they are all installed, and we are replacing all the old equipment with brand new equipment.

“We have been ripping out the old surface to make way for the new rubber surface to go in, and really we have been just waiting for a weather clearance to achieve that. We hope to have the contractor back in as the weather is expected to be good this week.

“The ground needs to dry out, but once the new surface is in place, we will be ready to go,” the spokesperson added.

The playground has been out of action since March, much to the annoyance of many Kilkenny residents. It was due to re-open earlier this month, but this has been postponed a number of times because of the weather.

The playground was forced to close earlier this year because of what was described as “unforeseen health and safety issues”.

The OPW admitted the delays to the playground’s reopening have been unfortunate. But their spokesperson added: “The public have unfortunately taken a little bit of pain, but in the long run it is for the best. It is a significant investment in the facility so it will be all positive for the people in the surrounding areas and the people who visit the castle.”