A decision by Mayo County Council to grant planning permission to a football club to construct a clubhouse in a scenic area of Achill has been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.
Achill Rovers was granted permission by the council last month for the building on a five-acre site at the Sandybanks, Keel, Achill. The area is close to the Minaun Cliffs and the site is adjacent to the beach in Keel.
Mr Eneas McNulty, who opposes the development, said the site was in a stunning area in the shadow of the Minaun Cliffs with breathtaking views.
"People all over the world wax eloquently about this view. This is a scenic site second to none. It would be the envy of any community, especially one wishing to promote tourism."
Mr McNulty said: "Once development starts there will no end to it." The view "will be gone forever."
The site is part of a commonage with 557 tenants, several of whom claim that the council has no ownership rights over the area.
Mr John Condon, of Mayo County Council, said compulsory purchase orders were issued by the council in the late 1980s during the construction of a sewerage pumping house, which was located on the Sandybanks.
A petition has been raised by a group of local people concerned over the visual impact of the proposed clubhouse.
Some local people claim there is also a question over how planning permission can be given by the council for a structure between the road and the sea, in apparent contravention of the county development plan.
The chairman of Achill Rovers, Mr Seán Molloy, said club members would discuss the matter further and added that as a member of the Mayo league, the club was required to have adequate changing facilities for players.