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Drawing by a student at the Greystones Educate Together NS. Facebook

Locals fight for 'No Fry Zone' as McDonald's is planned beside three schools

An Bord Pleanála has given permission for the fast-food restaurant.

A WICKLOW SCHOOL has been granted leave to seek a judicial review of a decision to grant planning permission to a McDonald’s restaurant near its front entrance.

Temple Carrig secondary school in Greystones says that the proposed fast-food outlet would be less than 100m from its entrance and 30m from the school grounds.

An appeal against the granting of the planning permission was rejected by AnBord Pleanála.

Temple Carrig argued in court today that the An Bord Pleanála decision did not take account of stated government policy to reduce obesity among children.

In an email to parents this afternoon, the school argued that that the decision taken by AnBord Pleanála was “legally flawed”:

The Board of Management has taken this step in light of its responsibilities under the Education Act to provide for the students of the school and on the basis of strong legal advice that the decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant permission for the proposed development was legally flawed.

The school itself is on a campus in Blacklion that also has two primary schools at the location, Gaelscoil nagCloch Liatha and Greystones Educate Together.

It’s therefore been estimated by campaigners that up to 1,800 students could be near the McDonald’s if it is completed.

The plan that’s been give the go-ahead would also see a gym located at the site as well as space for further commercial development.

PastedImage-83434 The school campus and the nearby proposed site. Google Maps Google Maps

Local politicians have also been objecting to the McDonald’s with Stephen Donnelly TD arguing that national guidelines for planning decisions should promote “healthy living patterns”

Those who’ve been campaigning for the ‘No Fry Zone’ near the school have also been asking the nearby Lidl store to object to the construction.

A Facebook group created by locals opposed to the plans claims that the plans would see the McDonald’s built in Lidl’s car park.

If the judicial appeal is favourable to the school, the appeal may have to be re-heard. If the planning permission is eventually rejected, McDonald’s may be able to apply again.

Because of this, campaigners are seeking a local amendment that would exclude any high-fat food outlets outside town centres from locating within 400m of schools.

Temple Carrig say they will be making no further public comment pending the outcome of the legal proceedings, but that they assure parents that money raised through voluntary contributions is ring-fenced for educational purposes and not used for legal expenses.

Read: Sister of Irishman who died in Portugal tells of ‘nightmare’ trying to bring him home >

Read: Dart from Bray to Greystones suspended due to injured person on the line >

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62 Comments
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:33 PM

    Might as well just criminalise depression while you’re at it too.

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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:12 PM

    @Jamie McCormack: You don’t think talking depressed people into committing suicide is wrong?

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:51 PM

    @Boutros Boutros-Ghali: Of course it is, I hadn’t made that connection though. Fair point.

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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:55 PM

    @Jamie McCormack: You should try thinking, it’s great.

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    Mute Ashling Visser Bishop
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    Jan 24th 2018, 12:14 AM

    @Boutros Boutros-Ghali: easy to do when your not suffering from depression!

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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Jan 24th 2018, 12:18 AM

    @Ashling Visser Bishop: All the more reason to criminalise those who would try to talk depressed people into committing suicide.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
    Favourite Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Jan 24th 2018, 6:57 AM

    @Jamie McCormack: There’s quite big difference between tragically succumbing to your own depression, and taking somebody else, somebosy who is likely also very vulnerable, with yoym

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    Mute Alison O'Connor
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:36 PM

    How on earth is making a suicide pact a criminal offence going to help stop people from doing it?? If they genuinely want to prevent people from committing suicide then they need to understand what’s driving people to it in the first place and then provide support. FFS what they gonna do follow you to the other side with a court summons?!

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:52 PM

    @Alison O’Connor: I agree, it’s a stupid approach. What is life without quality of life? Maybe they have terrible palliative care or something? Loneliness if a wife or husband dies, maybe? Or it might be poverty that drives some to it? Yes, I’m certain they could do more for their citizens if they listened to them. But who the heck is going to confide in their nurses if they’re considering what’s been turned into a criminal act?

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    Mute Al Coholic
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    Jan 24th 2018, 11:09 AM

    @Alison O’Connor: it’s cheaper than investing in mental health. Korea is an even lore neo liberal kip than Ireland is and culturaly they tend not to care about anyone not “economically viable”.

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    Mute Séamus McCallion
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:45 PM

    S Korean society is basically based on slave labour. There is so much pressure on young men in particular to study and become a “salary man”. They only have one day off a week and during the week it is from 6am to often 9pm. At the same time pretty young women are worshiped and envied by both men and women, at the same time women do not have military conscription. Not so pretty women take out loans for plastic surgery and then wait for a rich man to marry them. It is a pretty messed up place.

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    Mute Stephen Kennedy
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:51 PM

    You seem to have everything understood about Korea ? Koreans have 2 days off…The pressure it high to study though, that’s clear, but they work from 9am to 6, sometimes later

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    Mute davidMbyrne.com
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:07 PM

    @Séamus McCallion: ‘A pretty messed up place’ is a sweeping generalisation for a country of over 50 million. Korean society has its problems like most developed countries, a high suicide rate the one that grabs all the headlines, but it’s a wonderful country of wonderful hospital people. I lived there, and with Koreans, for almost a decade and know what I’m talking about. You clearly do not, however.

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    Mute davidMbyrne.com
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:09 PM

    @davidMbyrne.com: ‘hospitable people’ even!

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:42 PM

    @Séamus McCallion: North korea is a lot better dispite all the media attacks.

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    Mute Stephen Kennedy
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:48 PM

    He’s typing this from his mommy’s spare room. I live in Busan, I’m curious where he gets his made up thoughts on Korean society from. Maybe he was left broken hearted by a pretty Korean girl ?

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    Mute Séamus McCallion
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:53 PM

    Made up thoughts? No. I am friends with a Korean couple who tell it as it is.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Jan 24th 2018, 12:04 AM

    @Stephen Kennedy: The west through the eyes of north korea. Youtube.

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    Mute Stephen Kennedy
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    Jan 24th 2018, 1:07 AM

    You should take a trip out of Ireland sometime to open your mind for yourself. It seems you don’t actually know anything about Korea.

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    Mute Stephen Kennedy
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    Jan 24th 2018, 1:09 AM

    A Korean couple who left Korea and are in Ireland, talking negative about the place :o Sounds like me talking about Ireland after a few pints

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Jan 24th 2018, 6:37 AM

    @davidMbyrne.com: good man Dave but left you forget everyone here knows everything better and our society is always correct

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    Mute Al Coholic
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    Jan 24th 2018, 11:11 AM

    @davidMbyrne.com: your experience of a section korean life doesn’t make u an expert..a little knowledge and all that.

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    Mute Séamus McCallion
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    Jan 24th 2018, 5:11 PM

    @Stephen Kennedy: Actually they live in Seoul right now. I agree there are many great things about Korea but for the average person life is very tough with no safety net whatsoever.

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    Mute Censorship is modern day book burning
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:52 PM

    Sure it’s been an offense, here (actually wonder if it still is) that’s why we say such & such “committed” suicide, because was (or is) a offense.

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    Mute Joe Phillips
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:50 PM

    @Censorship is modern day book burning:

    So you would say John/Mary “committed” suicide instead of “is” (or “are”) suicide?

    Is English your first language??

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    Mute Boutros Boutros-Ghali
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    Jan 24th 2018, 12:19 AM

    @Joe Phillips: Is it yours?

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    Mute Joe Phillips
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    Jan 24th 2018, 10:28 AM

    @Boutros Boutros-Ghali: evidently not

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    Mute Ann-Marie Lavery
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    Jan 24th 2018, 1:40 AM

    I’m living in Seoul at the moment. Suicide is a big problem as they don’t support those who suffer with depression! There are no / very few groups or charities that help with depression or suicide. Also, they have little to no support for the elderly – hence the high rate in that age group. Ireland is so far ahead in their acceptance of the illness and in trying to help those in need.
    Suicide pacts are evil things and this may help the rate to fall but they really need to focus on the causes!!!!!

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    Mute Stephen Kennedy
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    Jan 24th 2018, 2:06 AM

    Correct, but in Korea you can be operated on within the first visit of GP, in Ireland you wait 4 years. Old age is a big problem here tho..I do agree

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    Mute Ann-Marie Lavery
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    Jan 24th 2018, 2:58 AM

    @Stephen Kennedy: Some aspects of life in South Korea are very good – I agree ! but it is such a superficial society! anything that may be seen as a weakness is bad! so sad

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    Mute Stephen Kennedy
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    Jan 24th 2018, 4:08 AM

    Night out in Itaewon sorts that out

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    Mute Ann-Marie Lavery
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    Jan 24th 2018, 5:36 AM

    @Stephen Kennedy: hahhah – that’s where I live :)

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    Mute Ian Heaton
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:53 PM

    I’m dying to see how that’ll work out.

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 11:57 PM

    So why a picture of a shopping street in Seoul. You wouldn’t head an article on irish suicide with a tourist shot of Grafton Street…

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    Mute Shane Cusack
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    Jan 24th 2018, 2:31 AM

    Punishable by death…..

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jan 23rd 2018, 10:43 PM

    I had heard that South Korea’s setting out to boost their life expectancy rates to better than North America’s. Well, there goes South Park!

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    Mute Al Coholic
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    Jan 24th 2018, 11:12 AM

    @Fiona Fitzgerald: all they have to do is wait. Longevity is in decline in the USA. 78 at the moment and dropping

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    Mute Chaz
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    Jan 24th 2018, 6:52 AM

    Anyone caught organizing these will get the death penalty

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    Mute purple rain
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    Jan 24th 2018, 9:16 AM

    punishment will be the death penalty

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    Mute The flute smoker
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    Jan 24th 2018, 12:04 PM

    Theres a reason we work 9-5 because because 9-6 might kill a niga .

    Dave chappelle

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