Kerry Co Council 'glamps' down on proposed tourism accommodation

The local shoreline has experienced informal campervan parking in recent years

A 3D view of the glamping and caravan site at Cromane, Co. Kerry, refused permission earlier this month.

Six glamping pods have been refused permission near the shore at Cromane Lower, Killorglin, in Co. Kerry, where increasing numbers of campervans have been parked informally during the summer.

Shauna Moriarty applied in August of this year for permission to build the glamping pods alongside nine campervan pitches, a services building, events area and car park on a site owned by her father, Ciaran Moriarty.

The applicant stated that because of a lack of facilities in the area, campervans had taken to parking overnight along the shoreline and on Mr Moriarty's land in Cromane without permission. The lack of waste or sanitary facilities was causing environmental issues, she said.

Parking and campervan pitches on the Cromane shoreline in July 2026.

The design statement explained the glamping proposal "seeks to provide a dedicated, well-managed facility that will improve visitor amenities while protecting the surrounding coastal environment." The pods were to be finished with 'ebony' coloured shingles and separated by vegetation to ensure privacy.

A number of local businesses, including a restaurant, café, and sauna, are located close to the site, in the town of 206 people as counted in the 2022 Census. The applicant argued the glamping site would "strengthen Cromane’s existing visitor offerings" while also benefiting the community through the creation of a playground.

The number of glamping pods to go on the site had been reduced from 20 to 6 after a pre-planning consultation with Kerry Co Council. There were 16 submissions on the proposal from people in the local area, many of which were supportive, but with one arguing that a grant of permission would worsen the informal campervan parking near the beach.

The council wrote back with their decision in October, reasoning that the scale and nature of the glamping pods would interfere with the "scenic, open and exposed" character of the surrounding landscape and "seriously injure" the residential and agricultural property in the vicinity.

The rural location is zoned as visually sensitive in the Kerry County Development Plan.

The council was also not satisfied that the soil conditions of the site could dispose of the effluent arising from the glamping site and expressed a concern for public health.