Newtownbarry House looks set to close to the public
IT appears that the beautiful Newtownbarry House and Gardens in Bunclody may not open to the public again following a statement from the owners issued through the Visit Bunclody website.
The statement read: ‘ Due to circumstance outside their control, Newtownbarry House and Gardens will not re-open for the 2018 summer season and is unlikely to be open to the public again in the future. House and Garden tours and visits booked for the season cannot now go ahead including bookings made through Wexford and Carlow Garden Trails. Clody (Norton, owner) and her family sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish to thank all who visited the house, gardens and art gallery and supported them over the years. Best wishes are extended to the Norton family at this difficult time.’
The owner of Newtownbarry House, Ms Clody Norton, recently hit the headlines after she was part of a quartet of Bunclody business people who had a judgement of €3.89million secured against them at the High Court arising from a loan made by Anglo Irish Bank in 2005 for purposes which included the construction of 16 apartments at The Millrace.
This is the second major blow which Bunclody has suffered from a tourism point of view in recent weeks, following news that The Millrace Hotel is to close it’s doors with rumours circulating that planning permission is to be sought to transform it into a nursing home - something which the local community have vowed to oppose every step of the way.
‘It’s going to be another huge loss tourism wise,’ said local councillor Barbara Anne Murphy. ‘ The family are devastated. Clody and her family have been there for a very long time and have been very good to the town. I don’t know where it will end up. I hope that the public don’t lose access to this wonderful building and gardens. It’s awful for anyone to be in threat of losing their home.’
Cllr Murphy continued that it was yet another cruel blow for the town. ‘Everyone up here has been making such an effort,’ she said. ‘ The tourist office in the town is a little gem and you can see it’s starting to get busy. We’ve done all that only to be hit with a double blow - first the hotel, and now Newtownbarry House. It’s devastating.’