*Cathal Crowe TD (FF). Photograph: John Mangan
PLANS to build a home in Heathmount, Cratloe have failed for the Crowe family for a third time.
In March, Clare County Council had granted planning permission to Eimear Crowe, a sister of Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) to construct a dwelling house, detatched garage, wastewater treatment system, associated site works and retain permission for an embankment as constructed in Cratloe.
This decision was appealed by Meelick native Matthew Broggy to An Coimisiún Pleanála who have ruled against the Council’s decision and are refusing the development.
There has been a long-running feud between the Crowe and Broggy families which resulted in a case going before the High Court. The row over the right of way has been the subject of Circuit Court and High Court orders with a High Court judge, Mr. Justice Michael Hanna telling Noel Broggy in 2012 “to stop digging”.
Matthew Broggy was also named in court as featuring in the right of way dispute with the Crowes.
In 1979, Noel Broggy objected to plans of Michael and Irene Crowe to build their own dwelling home in Meelick. He opposed the application over a disputed right of way concerning a strip of land adjacent to the Crowe family home.
Over four decades on, Noel’s son Matthew objected to plans from Cathal Crowe and then his sister Eimear to construct a home in Cratloe. His objection was drafted by Ennis-based planner, Michael Leahy who clashed with Cathal Crowe as a General Election candidate in 2020 and 2024. His objection stated that the Council rural housing settlement policy has been introduced to protect areas under pressure from urban, random and un-co-ordinated development “and it should be implemented in this case”.
Following Crowe’s election to the Dáil in February 2020, Noel Broggy contested the co-option to take the former Mayor of Clare’s seat on Clare County Council but the majority of Fianna Fáil members in the Shannon Comhairle Ceanntair gave their backing to Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) prompting his return to the local authority.
Planning commissioner, Tom Rabbette in his recommendation outlined that the housing need of the applicant at the location was not “satisfactorily demonstrated”. He noted the site was within an area “under strong urban influence as identified in the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029”.
Sustainable rural housing guidelines for planning authorities issued by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in April 2025 were referenced in the recommendation. They “seek to manage the growth of areas that are under urban influence to avoid over-development and to ensure that the provision of single housing in such rural areas are provided based upon demonstratable economic or social need to live in a rural area, it is considered that it has not been satisfactorily demonstrated that the applicant comes within the scope of the housing need criteria as set out in the Development Plan for a house at this location”.
He stated, “In particular the development sought under this application due to it being accessed from a designated scenic route and when taken together with forming part of an area under strong urban influence is considered to be ‘Areas of Special Control’ under the said County Development Plan. It is therefore a requirement for applicants for a rural house at this type of rural location to demonstrate compliance with Objective CDP 4.14 of the County Development Plan. Under this objective a new single house for the permanent occupation of an applicant will be required to demonstrate compliance with one of its specified categories and their criteria. On the basis of the information provided, the applicant has not adequately demonstrated an identified locally based economic, social or in this case exceptional medical need for a rural dwelling house at this rural locality and that this requirement for a dwelling house cannot be met at a less sensitive to change rural locality and/or in a settlement”.
Rabbette stated that the development would “contribute to the encroachment of random rural development in the area and would militate against the preservation of the rural environment and the efficient provision of public services and infrastructure. The development sought under this application would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.
These were the considerations cited by the Commission in its decision to overturn the Council’s decision.
Plans were first lodged by Crowe in January 2022 for the house in Cratloe. He withdrew the application and then re-lodged plans under his Irish name, C. MacConcradha in July 2022.
An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission to his application in September 2024 after Deputy Crowe disclosed that he owns another house in the area. The planning authority ruled that his need to live in the local area “can be met by property and land in his ownership”. The board concluded that Deputy Crowe has not demonstrated that he meets the necessary ‘economic need or social need’.
This March, planning documents lodged with the application of Eimear Crowe to build on the side detailed that Cathal was to gift the site to his sister and that he owns a house elsewhere on the farm that belonged to his uncle who passed away in 2023.
