Hellfire Club group resolves action after SIPO withdraws referral to gardaí

A High Court challenge by a residents group against a decision by the Standards in Public Office Commission to refer to the gardaí an alleged breach of political lobbying law over opposition to a plan to build an interpretive centre at Dublin's Hellfire Club has been resolved.

The action was brought by a group called Save the Hellfire Club, along with Rathfarnham's Massy Woods Residents Association, who oppose South Dublin Co Council's plan to develop a €22m interpretive centre at Irish Hellfire Club in the Dublin Mountains.

In 2018, the residents association found itself subject of an investigation by the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) as to whether the campaign against the development was a political campaign and therefore subject to rules that any funding over €100 must be declared.

SIPO decided the residents' activities came within the Electoral Act and requested it to provide details of its donors.

Last May, SIPO decided to refer the matter to the Gardaí due to what it claimed was a lack of co-operation from the residents over requests for information about funding.

As a result, the group brought judicial review proceedings against SIPO, Ireland and the Attorney General seeking an order quashing the SIPO decision of May 23 last to refer the matter to the Gardaí.

The matter returned before the court today when Cian Ferriter SC, for Save the Hellfire Massy Woods Residents Association, told Mr Justice Seamus Noonan that with the consent of the parties the proceedings could be struck out after SIPO had agreed to withdraw the referral.

SIPO had also agreed to pay his client's costs, counsel said. The Judge then struck out the action.

Previously the court heard the residents group had no political affiliations and opposition to a planning application could not be considered to be opposition to a political function of the council.

The group said its sole purpose is to oppose the council's planning application. It said it was not engaged in a political campaign and SIPO had no jurisdiction to require it to provide details of donors.

The group argued that it could not produce details of donors because it did not know their identities.

SIPO's referral, the group also claimed, was a restriction on the right of non-governmental organisations to participate in the planning process.

The group claimed the proposed development at the Hellfire Club is an inappropriate commercial development which will damage what it says is a fragile environment and ecosystem.

A former hunting lodge on Montpellier Hill in the Dublin Mountains, it was one of the meeting places for the 18th century Irish Hellfire Club which was said to be known for its debauchery and possible Satanic worship.