523-home Castletroy development in Limerick approved despite objections
CGI of the planned housing development in Monaleen Road, Limerick.
A 523-home housing development on Limerick's Monaleen Road has received planning permission despite objections from Castletroy Golf Club and nearby residents.
Limerick City and County Council had already granted permission in April for the development by Columbia Estates Management Ltd., headed by Jersey-based David Kennedy.
They plan to develop the greenfield site made up of 214 two and three-storey townhouses and 309 apartments across 10 four- and five-storey blocks. The apartment mix will be made up of 159 one-bed, 141 two-bed and 9 three-bed homes.
The development will also include a creche and vehicular access off the Monaleen Road and pedestrian access to the Dublin Road.
However, the Council's decision was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála by four third parties.
The adjacent Castletroy Golf Club submitted a Golf Safety Impact Report raising concerns of a potential ball strike from the fairway of the course's second hole, which runs parallel to the shared boundary.
They said a 30-metre buffer zone that was in place for a previous permission on the site has been abandoned and said it should be reinstated. They said communal open space, which will be used by children and residents, is proposed immediately adjacent to the golf course boundary. They also said that netting of at least 20–30 metres in height is required to intercept errant shots.
The applicants responded, saying netting would be disproportionate and could harm the mature trees on the boundary.
In their original submission to the Council, the golf club stated: "Castletroy Golf Club is characterised by openness, low-intensity-built development and expansive landscaped areas, and the abrupt juxtaposition of tall, continuous apartment blocks undermines this established character."
"The proposal results in an overbearing and visually dominant form of development along the boundary, with insufficient setback to mitigate its impact on the adjoining land use."
A submission by Monaleen Residents argued that the area has seen cumulative overdevelopment, with more than 800 homes already built, under construction or permitted nearby since 2018.
They said that social infrastructure such as schools, childcare and healthcare hasn't been shown to have the capacity for this scale of population growth.
In response, the applicant cited a December 2025 Department of Education forecast showing falling school demand over 20 years despite population growth.
In their report, the planning inspector rejected the 30-metre buffer zone but did recommend netting along the boundary. They also rejected the applicant's request for a 10-year planning permission, instead recommending an eight-year timeline.
The planning appeals board last week granted permission for the development. However, they removed the requirement for netting and placed a standard five-year construction timeline on the development.
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