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29 Oct 2012

£5.5m Castlehill heritage attraction opens in Northern Ireland

A new £5.5m heritage park and visitor attraction has opened on the Castlehill site in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.

Located on the grounds of the town's former Belfast Bank, the Hill of The O'Neill & Ranfurly House Arts & Visitor Centre includes a multimedia exhibition that narrates the story of Dungannon and Ireland's famous O'Neill Dynasty - after whom the hill has been named.

Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council invested £2.6m in the project with £2.3m funding secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A further £500,000 was provided by the Arts Council and £70,000 from the NI Environment Agency.

Speaking at the official opening, first minister Peter Robinson said: "I have no doubt that this centre and park will become a signature heritage project for the area, and a must-see visitor attraction for both local and foreign visitors to Northern Ireland.

"It is projects such as Titanic Belfast, the Giant's Causeway and these here today that give us the confidence to aim high."

The Castlehill site, situated on a natural hilltop in the centre of Dungannon town, was once the medieval stronghold of the O'Neill Lordships, the residence of Plantation of Ulster Commissioner Sir Arthur Chichester, and most recently the site of a Ministry of Defence security base.