The way has been cleared for the €70 million transformation of Carnelly House in Co Clare into a retirement village following the withdrawal of a single appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
The scheme, by Stamer Ltd, will see the construction of 120 houses of various sizes, 35 apartments and a 64-bed retirement home at the 18th century house near Clarecastle, Co Clare. Stamer Ltd lists Timothy and Raymond Kelliher from Killarney as directors.
Maura and Helen O'Donoghue argued in their appeal to An Bord Pleanála that the scale of the development was out of character with the rural area and would would interfere with stock and wildlife in the area.
The country house first hit the headlines in 2006 when it emerged that developers of the scheme would have to spend €120,000 on ensuring the continued welfare of 30 bats.
During pre-planning investigations, it was discovered that the site was a nationally important maternity roost for the rare and protected Lesser Horseshoe Bat.
Permission granted by Clare County Council was on condition that measures contained in a bat conservation report be adhered to.
The developer indicated an intension to refurbish a coach-house building at Carnelly House as a maternity roost for the bats and construct a "fly-over" (to be made out of netting) in order to allow the bats to commute up and over the road without the threat of colliding with traffic.
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