Constance Cassidy, far left, and Eddie Walsh, right, chat at Lissadell yesterday
TOURISM in Donegal has been given a huge boost with news that Lissadell House in north Sligo re-opens from today.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will formally re-open the ancestral home of 1916 Rising leader Constance Markievicz on Friday.
The house and estate closed four years ago after Sligo County Council took the home’s owners to court in a bid to establish four public rights of way on the property.
Barrister couple Eddie Walsh and Constance Cassidy fought the move – they paid €4M for the house in 2003 and spent another €10M on restoring it.
The house was closed during the four years of legal battles which the Walshes won last November.
A small piece of road leading to a beach was declared a right of way, but the rest were not.
The Lissadell estate will now bring tens of thousands of extra tourists to the North West this summer, many choosing to stay at hotels in Donegal while they are here.
Lissadell is just outside Grange.
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