Lumville mooted as potential Curragh Visitor Centre

Lumville image: Ray Cooke Auctioneers.

The possibility of the state buying the former Lumville House Hotel for use as a Visitor Centre for the Curragh Plains has been raised by Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, writes Brian Byrne. She made the comment while welcoming the publication of the Curragh Plains Conservation Management Plan, unveiled earlier this week by Fianna Fáil Leader and Defence Minister Micheál Martin.

The plan is the result of years of work by Kildare County Council and the Department of Defence on the Curragh Consultancy Project, and identifies suitable future management methods to allow various stakeholders on the Curragh exercise their rights while at the same time allowing public access and encouraging adherence to environmental restrictions.

The establishment of a dedicated agency to be responsible for the Curragh, or assigning responsibility to an existing agency with the necessary skillset and expertise to maximise the area's potential, is another of the issues identified in the plan.

Senator O'Loughlin says acquisition of Lumville, which is for sale, would make an ideal Visitor Centre once renovated, with ample space and plenty of parking. The property was run as a bar, restaurant and functions room for more than four decades by Michael and Nuala Lambe, and was very popular with Kilcullen groups and organisations for social events. Michael retired from the business in 2016, two years after the death of Nuala. Michael himself died in 2019.

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