It’s hoped a new floor and ladders will be installed in Rattoo Round Tower in North Kerry by the end of the year.
The OPW says when the works are complete, it will make a decision on how it will be opened to the public.
Refurbishment works on Rattoo Round Tower in Ballyduff, which dates from around 1100 AD, and featured on the old Kerry GAA crest, stopped during the pandemic.
Rattoo Round Tower in Ballyduff features a sheela-na-gig, a stone carving of a female figure; it’s the only example found in an Irish round tower.
It dates from about 1100 AD and is located next to a graveyard and the ruins of a 15th-century church.
It’s the round tower that featured on the old Kerry GAA crest.
Renovation works on the tower had been ongoing for many years, but were stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving scaffolding around the tower, which is still there.
The adjoining graveyard remains accessible, but the door into the area around the tower remains locked.
The Office of Public Works has confirmed to Radio Kerry News that its staff are working off-site on the joinery work required internally in the tower.
It’s hoped a new floor and ladders will be installed before the end of this year (end Q4 2023).
The OPW says once the conservation works are complete, it will then be in a position to consider what level of access can be provided safely for members of the public.
