Officials meet with manor lord

A TWO-HOUR meeting yesterday between senior Cork County Council officials and Michael Flatley could lead to a resolution of difficulties concerning his €30 million restoration of Castlehyde House.

Last month, council planners refused the star permission to retain two large ornamental ponds at the front of his house and a gymnasium at the rear which they said were not in keeping with its original Georgian architecture.

In an effort to resolve the row, county manager Maurice Moloney led a team to talks with Mr Flatley at his home near Fermoy.

Assistant county manager, Donal Barrett, county engineer Ned Flynn, county architect Bob Houlihan, senior planner Bob Gunkel and senior engineer Aidan Weir went to Castlehyde House yesterday where they were given a tour.

“There are still a small number of outstanding issues,” Mr Moloney said.

“They [Mr Flatley and his architects] have demonstrated they are developing proposals to deal with these outstanding issues which we expect to receive in the next couple of weeks. I’m fairly confident there will be a resolution,” he added.

A spokeswoman for Mr Flatley said the meeting had gone well.