A secret room in the 800-year-old Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford was discovered for the first time by a joiner carrying out conservation works on Sunday.
The historic Johnstown Castle Estate Museum and Gardens in Wexford is one of the properties in the care of the Irish Heritage Trust.
It has undergone substantial conservation and restoration works over the last five years with projects ongoing following the official opening of the gothic-revival castle to the public for the first time in its history in 2019.
As restoration works continue on the castle and gardens through 2023 a new discovery was made on Sunday by a joiner who was working on window conservation in the castle itself. The contractors from National Gates and Joinery Company broke through a section of wall only to uncover a hidden room which has remained untouched.
Dating back over 850 years to the Norman times in Ireland, Johnstown Castle was in private hands for centuries and went through a number of aristocratic families before coming into public ownership in the late 20th century.
In 2018 the Irish Heritage trust took over the care and management of Johnstown Castle and the estate underwent a €7.5 million makeover, which included conservation of the castle itself, the construction of a new visitor centre and the restoration of an 86m underground servants' tunnel.
In April 2023 renovations works completed on the east wing of Johnstown Castle and it was officially opened to the public. The east wing is set within its own discreet annexe of the castle.
Set across three floors where, during the castle’s history, many parties and events took place, it once housed a ballroom, oratory, billiard room and science laboratory.
During these works, the secret room was discovered.
Anne O'Donoghue, CEO of the Irish Heritage Trust, said: “This is a really incredible discovery. It is highly unusual to find additional hidden treasures in heritage properties and this is the second time that this has happened at Johnstown Castle following our discovery of a secret room under the tower at the lake just last year. The Trust's mission is to care for the properties and work towards making them financially sustainable, this is done through a number of different ways, such as, welcoming visitors to our sites, philanthropy and competitive grants. In the case of the windows here in Johnstown Castle the work are been completed with support from the Department of Heritage."
Manager at Johnstown Castle Brenda Comerford said: “This room has been covered up for a very long time. It is part of one of the towers and looking around it, on initial inspection we think it was most likely a small turret bedroom. There is quite a tragic family history associated with Johnstown Castle, so this room could have been sealed off due to a tragedy, which would have happened in times past, who knows. We will need to investigate this further.”
The Irish Heritage Trust will now assess the room to see how it can "unlock the potential of the wonderful new space and understand how it can be used to the benefit of the castle and visitor experience". It’s not the first secret that Johnstown Castle has turned up in recent times either.
Ms Comerford said: "Just last year we discovered a room under the tower at the lake which could only be accessed by boat. We’re discovering secrets all the time here at Johnstown Castle and that’s mainly thanks to the support of our visitors, our members at the Irish Heritage Trust and the Department of Heritage who provide the funding, so we can carry out these restoration works and secure the future of the castle.”
