Historic building to be listed

AN historic building in Dingle, Co Kerry, which has been at the centre of protests about its conservation, is to put on a list of protected structures by Kerry County Council.

An Taisce and other organisations had strongly favoured the listing of Rice House, an 18th century wine merchant’s house to which Marie Antoinette was to have made a dramatic escape in 1792.

The building is owned by Údarás na Gaeltachta, which was granted planning permission in 2002 to make changes to the facade and to provide a craft shop and café inside the building. But following representations from various conservation groups, the Údarás board agreed to have the house included in Kerry’s protected list.

Last January, the county council unanimously decided to revoke the planning permission, which would have radically altered the Rice building.

At its May meeting, the council adopted a report from its director of services, Willie Wixted, that the building be added to its record of protected structures.

While many changes have been made it still contains many of the original windows, doors, mouldings and rooms.

The building was also used for many years as a presbytery, in the 19th century, during which some alternations were also made. More recently, it has been used as offices for Údarás.