Officials from Meath County Council yesterday visited the site of an alleged unauthorised demolition of a cottage dating from the 19th century and ordered work to stop immediately.
The demolition of the two-storey building was condemned by An Taisce in Meath, which said the building, which is derelict and on the estate of Rockfield House near Kells, was a protected structure.
It is one of two cottages sold some years ago. They were referred to in a historical survey of Rockfield demesne last year, which described them as "rare survivors and constitute important examples of estate architecture; they hold particular merit for their retention of the original architectural form and all their historic features. These buildings are now in separate ownership."
An Taisce spokesman Kevin Mulligan said the cottage was a protected structure, and there was no planning permission for its demolition.
He called on the council to take legal action against those responsible,
He said not to do so would send out a message that unauthorised works to protected structures "are not taken seriously".
A council source said it had no record of any permission being sought to carry out the demolition, and an investigation was continuing to see what permissions if any existed for the building.
It is understood that the demolition work, by a third party, began on Friday when a makeshift road from the drive to Rockfield House was made by an earth-moving machine.
By the time officials had visited it yesterday morning slates from about 90 per cent of the roof had been removed and were stacked in the garden.
Roof timbers had nearly all been removed, and a bulldozer appeared to have driven through a side wall, leaving piles of rubble in the middle of what was once a front room.
Mr Mulligan said the house was inhabited up to 20 years ago, and because it had never been fully architecturally assessed it was impossible to know the extent of the damage done.
Attempts to speak to the owner of the cottage were unsuccessful.