By Gordon Deegan
Tipperary County Council has granted planning permission to contentious plans to demolish JP Magnier-owned derelict farm buildings at Parkville, near Clonmel in Co. Tipperary.
JP Magnier is the son of well-known stud owner John Magnier, and in March 2024 the Magniers’ Coolmore was reported to have paid €2.425 million, or almost €38,000/ac, for the 64ac farm at Parkville. The lands had a guide price of €1.28 million.
Last September, the Coolmore-linked Melclon UC lodged the plans for the demolition of existing derelict buildings at Parkville, together with all associated site development works. Just under 30 objections were lodged with Tipperary County Council against the demolition plan.
The objections followed a farm-gate demonstration against the proposal on October 3 at the site.
Now, the council has granted planning permission for the scheme subject to four conditions, after earlier stalling the plan over bats when telling the applicants that the existing structures proposed for demolition may have potential for roosting bat species.
However, a bat survey carried out by Dr. Jane Russell O’Connor on behalf of Melclon UC found that there was no bat fauna or signs of recent bat activity detected at the site.
Dr. Russell O’Connor stated that, as the survey was carried out during the hibernation period from November to February, there is still a possibility of bat activity and roosting at the site during the active season.
The issue concerning bats was the only item in the request for further information, after the council ignored a recommendation from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to request that the applicants carry out a detailed assessment of the farm complex to establish its architectural interest and its contribution to the historic built environment, and to assess its potential for reuse in whole or in part.
A notice placed on the gate at the site by the applicants stated: "These lands contain a derelict yard of rubble stone construction. After decades of serious neglect, it is heavily overgrown and crumbling and is now a serious health and safety concern."
The notice states that “the owner has applied for demolition on health and safety grounds”.
However, in one objection, Alan Moore told the county council that the buildings earmarked for destruction "are part of our history and are irreplaceable”.
He said that the Parkville farm building complex “is very old, probably dating from late 1700s, and has an historically important courtyard layout which includes finely detailed arched entrances with cut stone surrounds”.
Moore, of Sladagh, Fethard, stated: "We have lost far too many similar structures both in Tipperary and nationally. There is no excuse for making the same mistake again.”
In a separate objection, Eimear Gallagher told the council that she finds it “unfathomable that these iconic farm buildings at Parkville could be knocked”.
Gallagher, of Hymenstown, New Inn, Cashel, stated that the building “represents an iconic landmark”.
She stated, as an example of excellent stonework, they are a good example of a vernacular farmyard complex and "part of our built heritage".
In another submission, Tom Hayden of Killaloan Lodge, Killaloan, Clonmel told the county council that there is a risk of a domino effect, that once the complex of farm buildings and associated structures are removed, that this may lead to the destruction of the existing hedgerow systems and obliteration of the landscape features that are a key element of the integrity of the locality.
In a separate objection, William and Jacinta Weymouth of Ardgaaithe Upper, Fethard Road, Clonmel, claimed that the planned demolition works "would represent the erasure of valuable and irreplaceable Irish heritage”.