A GUESTHOUSE owner in Clifden, Co Galway was fined yesterday for failing to remove advertising signs from her premises which Galway County Council said were in contravention of planning laws.
Mrs Margaret Mary Joyce, Westport Road, Clifden, claimed the local authority had abused its power in bringing the case as she claimed there were 182 other illegal signs in the town whose owners had not been summonsed.
While she had been refused permission, she had been singled out and the law was inequitably applied, she claimed.
At a previous sitting of Clifden District Court it had been alleged by Mr Michael McDarby, solicitor for Mrs Joyce, that the case was brought against his client in relation to Waterfall Lodge after an objection by Mr John Mannion the chairman of Galway Co Council, who lived near the guest house.
When it was put to a planning official that the chairman was the only objector, the official had replied "That is not correct".
The sitting had been adjourned to allow Mr McDarby to submit details of signs he claimed were illegal to the council for comment, but Ms Vivienne Raine, for the council, said only seven cases were submitted. She rejected any suggestion of improper motive. The council could establish if a sign was illegal or not.
Judge John Garavan, while accepting the guesthouse's signs were "not out of character", found there was not "manifest unreasonableness" or "capricious conduct" in bringing the case.
He fined Mrs Joyce £100, ordered her to pay £60 witnesses expenses, and fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.