Council criticises rail museum plan

CLARE COUNTY Council has raised “serious concerns” over plans by west Clare businessman Jackie Whelan to construct Ireland’s largest rail and road museum at Moyasta in west Clare.

Last August, Mr Whelan realised his dream of bringing back the rebuilt 117-year-old Slieve Callan train engine to operate on 2.5km of the restored west Clare railway at Moyasta.

Numbers visiting the attraction have trebled since the introduction of the coal-burning train engine and, in November, Mr Whelan lodged plans for the road and rail museum.

However, in a letter to Mr Whelan, the council said “it has serious concerns in relation to the height and scale of the development as proposed, and consider that it would seriously impact on the visual amenities of this coastal site”.

The council emphasised that the museum site is located in an area designated as “visually vulnerable” in the Clare County Development Plan.

“You are therefore requested to outline the rationale for the size and scale of the development as proposed. In any event, you are advised that the design of the proposal should be significantly revised to take into account the sensitive location of this coastal site,” the council said.

The plan has only attracted one objection locally. David Browne of Moyasta objected to the plan after Mr Whelan successfully objected to Mr Browne’s plans for a new home at Moyasta, close to the rail route.

Mr Browne stated that he has objected in response to Mr Whelan opposing his home.

The council says it has concerns in relation to the proximity of Mr Whelan’s proposed structure to the existing railway line, as it is the policy of the council to safeguard the route of the west Clare railway and to avoid developments which impact on the line.

While it generally welcomes the development of a museum as part of the west Clare railway redevelopment, the council said “there are concerns in relation to the site selected for this purpose”.