Restrictions placed on events at Claregalway Castle
The many events that take place at Claregalway Castle, which have become hugely popular over the years, now require planning permission from Galway County Council, it has been ruled.
Claregalway Castle, which is owned by Dr Eamonn O’Donoghue, is the venue for the annual garden festival while it also plays host to food, craft and educational events, many of them for charities.
At the moment the castle is being restored to its former glory although this restoration process has been taking a considerable amount of time due to the detail that has to be adhered to as it is a protected structure.
But the owner of the castle has now been told that in order to host activities and events at this location, planning permission is required.
An Bord Pleanála has concluded that the staging of certain activities and events constitutes development on the grounds that a change of use has occurred. This means that planning permission is required to host such events.
Claregalway Castle plays host to events such as the Galway Architectural Festival, Galway Garden Festival, a number of food fairs, the Clare River boat race, an annual family fun day, summer music festivals as well as some international conferences.
The site accommodates a 15th century tower house which has been refurbished for residential use. The refurbishment is on-going and has been the subject of various applications for planning permission. It is not lived in currently.
The An Bord Pleanála inspector was informed during his site inspection that stone which is worked and carved on site is exclusively used for the restoration of buildings within the grounds.
Engineers on behalf of Dr O’Donoghue insisted that the activities on the grounds of Claregalway Castle did not constitute development as they did not involve works or it would not constitute the change of use of the grounds.
“This broad approach ignores the generally accepted principle that an event or an activity does not come within the definition of development and therefore does not involve works or a material change of use,” it was stated in the appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
However, the appeal failed and now planning permission has to be sought when events are held at Claregalway Castle.