End of the line for unauthorised Meath house as demolition finally gets under way

The Murray’s mounted series of appeals keep the 6,220 sq ft home after ‘wilful breach’ of planning laws. Picture: Barry Cronin/The Irish Times.

The word came through at 11am — demolition had begun.

In truth, the process was a good deal less dramatic than it sounds. The site of the infamous 500-plus square metre house near Tankardstown on the western border of Co Meath remained mostly unchanged, bar the hum of generators powering CCTV on the premises.

At the entrance to the massive landscaped property, the top of one of the gateposts lay in rubble on the ground — a sign that a vehicle too large for the driveway had recently made its way through.

The house belongs, or once belonged, to Chris and Rose Murray, who constructed it in less than three months in 2006 without planning permission. 

Odhran (left) and Tadhg Murray pictured at arcticulated trailers blocking the entrance to the house in question. Picture: Barry Cronin/The Irish Times.

The property has been the centre of a legal battle with Meath County Council ever since, one that the Murrays have been slowly losing for years.

Thursday was D-day — the “D” standing for demolition. In practice, that meant some windows at the house had been broken, indicating the process was finally under way. 

Little else was expected to happen on Thursday, a gloriously sunny day, apart from the possible removal of some windows and doors. Cutting the utilities, particularly electricity, was expected to be the next step.

Before 10am, a never-ending procession of vehicles came and went from the driveway, transporting long-forgotten possessions out of the house. Most of what was not nailed down had been removed by the time gardaí called a halt just after the hour.

Friends, relatives and supporters of the family are also pictured. Picture: Barry Cronin/The Irish Times.

Thereafter, masked individuals from the relevant security and repossession firms arrived and took control of the site. 

There was to be no further access to the property. All remained quiet on the idyllic country laneway, the murmur of birdsong and the nearby M3 motorway the only things breaking the silence.

One last legal throw of the dice remained for the family, with a last-minute application for a stay to be heard at the High Court at 1pm.