A committee has been formed in Sligo to lobby for the purchase by the State of the 19th century mansion, Lissadell House.
The committee was formed last night at a public meeting organised by Sligo Mayor Cllr Seán MacManus of Sinn Féin. He hopes the group will exert pressure on the Government to buy the former home of Countess Markievicz, which is also closely linked to W.B. Yeats.
"I want to exert some kind of pressure. I'm afraid it will fall into private hands," Mr MacManus said. "The architectural, cultural and historical value of the property is significant within the whole of Ireland context.
"The committee will be reflective of a broad swathe of people. This isn't about politics - 98 per cent of Sligo people want the Government to buy it."
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, has been examining the condition of the building in recent weeks.
A spokesman for Mr Cullen said officials had visited the site as part of their research but no decision had been made yet to buy it. "The Minister is very keenly aware of the need to use taxpayers' money wisely but also very conscious of the heritage value of the property," he said.