Rock of Cashel hotel refused planning permission

A controversial plan to build an 83-bed hotel and office blocks on a convent site near the Rock of Cashel has been refused planning permission, it emerged today.

The Presentation Sisters nuns sold two acres of land to the town council in 2001 believing that it would be used for a park.

The council, which disputes this claim, later sold the property, at St Francis Abbey on Friar Street, to a developer for a profit of nearly €1.5m.

In its ruling, An Bord Pleanála cited three reasons for refusing planning and insisted the proposed hotel was an inappropriate type and form of development which would hamper views from the famous tourist attraction, the Rock of Cashel.

It also ruled that the development would not provide attractive local pedestrian links or enhance existing public buildings.

Bord Pleanála members also claimed the office block and the adjoining car park would interfere with the medieval town defences of Cashel.

The Save Our Town Park group were opposed to the plans and had secured 1,400 signatures, half the population of the town.

Cashel Town Council, which claims another hotel is needed in the tourist hotspot, granted permission for the development to CMS Developments Limited Dublin on February 1.

An Bord Pleanála ruled the development “would detract from the townscape of Cashel, in particular in views from the Rock of Cashel”.

The 8,344 square-metres hotel development included a swimming pool, bar, restaurant, coffee shop, ballroom and foyer and conference/meeting rooms. Two office blocks and a 145-space car park were also included.

The controversial Presentation Sisters land contains a stone wall and mature beech, lime, oak, chestnut, sycamore and weeping ash trees.

The site also includes former tennis courts, a camogie field and a nuns’ graveyard.

The Save Our Town Park group said it will now press ahead to have a town park built on the site.

The activists aim to make the public amenity a key issue at next year’s local authority elections in the heritage town.

“We are delighted with today’s outcome,” added Richard O’Brien of the Save Our town Park group.

“It justifies everything we have done in the campaign we have been running against the proposed development.”