COLÁISTE Eoghain has been granted planning permission to turn the former Irish college in Carrigaholt into “a residential cultural and educational centre with overnight visitor accommodation”.
The former Irish college first lodged plans for the renovations this time last year with a further information request by Clare County Council over relevant ecological surveys, wastewater concerns and internal safety queries adding to the lengthy planning process.
Coláiste Eoghan Uí Chomhraidhe successfully operated as an Irish summer residential college for over 100 years from 1912 before closing its doors in 2017. The former West Clare institution will be given a new lease of life following the council’s decision to grant planning permission for the redevelopment which promises to transform the ground floor of the college’s main building to contain a games room, language lab, lounge area and large communal kitchen. The Coláiste was granted charitable status during the planning process.
Three existing tennis courts at the site are to be removed and replaced with a new multi-use games area along with outdoor landscaping so that grass around the college can be used for picnic areas, outdoor dining and as an outdoor meeting place. An extension of the college’s main building to facilitate a new entrance and to convert several of its facilities into two-bedroom residential units for “overnight visitor accommodation”, is also planned.
Clare County Council had initially poured cold water on these plans with a further information request, however. The planning department noted that the applicant’s Natura Impact Statement had outlined that appropriate bat and bird surveys prior to the beginning of works. The local authority ordered however that these measures be carried out immediately, stating that “You are requested to undertake the relevant ecological surveys and assessment and to furnish the Planning Authority with a copy of any derogation license that may be required”.
The council also ordered the applicant to obtain a Water Pollution Discharge license, outline the total population equivalent that will be served by the development and include a grease trap in the wastewater treatment plant. The reason for this request was given as being “in the interests of protecting water quality, the receiving environment and public health”. The planning department also requested that internal doorways in the proposed development be widened in order to allow for universal access.
The former Irish college applied for an extension of the time period required to provide the above information and was ultimately successful, although this again lengthened the planning process. The application described the project as a “hidden gem” and “an important part of the life of West Clare, where thousands of children have attended for summer Irish language learning over the course of one hundred years”.
The project has also been mentioned as a priority by several West Clare MD cllrs at a variety of council meetings for its annual tourism potential. In 2020, cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) noted that the college had “the potential to create 41 jobs”, in the isolated area.
Work on bringing the major renovations to fruition can now finally begin following the council’s decision to grant permission to the development.
