We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A PLANNING ROW has broken out over plans by the owner of one of Cork’s best-known golf courses to develop luxury holiday apartments which local residents claim will cause “irreversible damage to a beautiful quiet area”.
Several local families have lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála against the recent decision of Cork County Council to grant planning permission for the construction of “farmhouse” tourist accommodation at Ballymackean, Old Head, Kinsale, Co Cork.
The apartments are being developed by Ashbourne Holdings, the owner of the nearby Old Head of Kinsale golf course.
The company has secured permission to demolish an existing farmhouse and agricultural buildings on the 6.7-hectare site and replace them with four, single-storey “farmhouse” apartment units each containing four ensuite bedrooms as well as a two-storey “barn” containing a further two holiday apartments.
The plans also provided for a walled garden and caretaker’s lodge as well as car parking spaces for 16 vehicles and four golf buggys.
However, one local resident, Maurice Fitzgerald, said the development would impact on his family’s quality of life through a loss of privacy and sea-views.
“These structures will now loom in front of our window when for generations our family had enjoyed the beauty of this scenery now under threat,” said Fitzgerald.
He added: “It seems like this application is a purely for profit plan without any care for impact to the locality and close neighbours.”
Another local couple, Manjana Strey and Holger Diepes, claim such a massive development does not fit the rural character of the area and will block the sea view for local residents and visitors as well as causing light pollution.
They also argue that the local road network cannot accommodate the extra traffic that would be generated by the proposed development.
The couple have called on the developer to relocate the proposed “barn” building within the site in order to protect the environment of a high value landscape.
“The business plan of the Old Head management looks to be weak as they need to exploit a high value landscape to attract customers,” they added.
They also expressed concern that the developer might seek in future to have a helicopter landing pad close to the site.
Another appellant, Brian Dowling, claimed the plans by Ashbourne Holdings represented “elite mass tourism” when local people had difficulty getting planning permission in the area for homes for their children.
He also expressed concern that the provision of water for the new apartments would have a huge impact on the water table in the area.
Consultants for Ashbourne Holdings claim the Old Head Golf Links, which opened in 1997, attracts around 20,000 visitors annually but it is unable to meet the current demand for high-quality accommodation in the Kinsale area.
Approximately 80% of all visitors come from overseas including 50% from the US.
They claimed the proposed development is designed “to give visitors to OHGL more reasons and greater opportunity to stay longer and so spend more money in the wider Kinsale area.”
The developer said the five-star, fully-serviced apartments were part of a wider €32 million development plan that also includes up to 40 units with rooftop restaurant and bar at the Pier Road Townhouse in Kinsale town and an extension to the golf course’s clubhouse which would provide five additional bedroom suites, new dining facilities and changing rooms.
The clubhouse extension was completed in June 2020, while plans for the Pier Road Townhouse were postponed after initial consultations with the council in 2019 led the developer to consider its plans were unfeasible due to the lack of provision for car parking.
Ashbourne Holdings said its golf course makes a “very significant contribution” to tourism in the Kinsale area, which will be increased by the proposed development.
It estimates that the new accommodation will generate a total of 6,432 extra visitors and 16,080 additional bed nights per annum which it believes will contribute an additional €4 million to the local economy.
It will also generate 80 new full-time jobs as well as over 500 during the construction phase.
Green fees for the course, which is not affiliated with the Golf Union of Ireland, range from €225 to €395 in 2023.
A ruling by An Bord Pleanála on the appeal is due in early December.
The other side of this coin, however, is that in the next election (which may be soon), SF will run far more candidates and the extra seats they win will come from PbP, SD, Greens, and all the others who this time benefited from the large SF surpluses.
@Ruairí Ó HEithir: I don’t think so lad. The likely final result is:
SF 37
FF 37
FG 36 (+ “non-member” Lowry)
Grn 12
SD 6
Lab 6
Sol 5
Ind 19
Oth 2
So you can get FF + FG + Greens w/ Michael as Taoiseach or;
SF + FF + Greens w/ Mary Lou as Taoiseach or;
SF + Lab + Sol/PBP + Greens + SD + 14 Independents.
Micheál Martin will be our next Taoiseach after a “transition period” for Leo to pad his parachute. SF weren’t brave enough to risk losing seats, pulled candidates when they should have been running more and won nothing more than a hollow “victory”.
@John Considine: option 3 please.
@John Considine: mar Lou as Taoiiseach with FF as partner….ah here give up the tablets
@John Considine: i counted FF getting to 39 seats? Is 37 the final amount? There are 7 seats left and FF look like taking 5 of them. Not great but keeps Mary Lou away from leadership
@Laughable: In that situation the Greens would be the Kingmakers. I suspect they will be pragmatic and not gamble on a 14 Independent longshot. I mean, could you even get enough Independents? Plus, some of these people are not very palatable, Verone Murphy for example; others are involved in their own Kerry Mafia thing, etc.
My money is on same as it ever was.
@SFAnkleTapper: it will be FF and SF with a small party and rotating Taoiseach or that left mix 3rd option similar to what Portugal have.
Can’t see a FF and FG coalition, it would further erode their base.
Or of course a caretaker government and we vote again.
@Martin McFly: I have the final 7 going to:
Wicklow:
3) Harris (FG) [Obligatory Booooooooooooo]
4) Donnelly (FF)
5) Matthews (Green)
Cavan-Monaghan
Distributing the Aontú vote now, then it will depend on how well the FF transfer goes when Gallagher is eliminated. I had this as FG earlier but I would now give it as likely FF. It’s close but:
4) Smith (FF)
5) Smyth (FF)
Sligo-Leitrim:
3) MacSharry
4) Feighan
This assumes the FG transfer holds up but but even then any FF transfers would split between 2 candidates. Very likely FG will take 4 here.
So -1 FG, +1 FF from my earlier prediction.
@SFAnkleTapper: It’s a possible option from the numbers. That said if FF can get 2 seats in Cavan-Monaghan they will be on 38, which actually makes a possible SF coalition more likely since Martin would then get to be Taoiseach.
@Ruairí Ó HEithir: I’ve a bit of a stupid question… Does anyone know when it’s decided that a candidate is excluded and that their votes are to be redistributed? I’ve had a look online but can’t seem to find anything. Thanks.
@Peter Cavey: It’s not a complete answer but essentially the candidate with lowest vote total after each count is eliminated.
Notable exceptions are if there is a surplus to be distributed and that surplus can theoretically save a candidate (or get them a refund on their deposit) or that multiple candidates can be excluded at once if they cannot theoretically get enough votes even when the candidate below them is eliminated. The latter mostly happens in the earlier counts when multiple candidates have very low vote totals.
@John Considine: thank you.
@John Considine: with only 1 or 2 seat difference between them it will be a shared Taoiseach. Mary Lou has a much better chance of getting the nomination for Taoiseach when the Dail returns than Martin. This will give her more leverage during negotiations.
@Martin McFly: your wrong . go Mary . Go Mary …. hurrayyyyyyyyy
@Gerard Smith: As much as I might wish it would be otherwise I fear that FG/FF will choose the lesser threat of brand dilution over the existential threat that SF now represents to their combined vested interest. An interest, as has so often been pointed out during this campaign, that has been vested in them since the foundation of the state no less.
I wish I could celebrate with you but the pragmatist in me knows what I would do if I were them. 5 more years. We can fix it guys, we’ll maintain identity be carefully delineating responsibility and focusing our messaging. It’ll be fine guys, honest. I mean, consider the alternative…
I hope I’m wrong and you are right.
@John Considine:
Such a sore loser. Build the auld proverbial bridge and haul your ass across it!
@Ruairí Ó HEithir: Yeah voters trusted Sinn Fein sol pbp for change glad of the transfers glad Sinn Fein know that a weak fine geal fianna fail is their best advantage fg ff being tough on sf for decades good Sinn Fein remembers
@Pád: Yeah voters trusted Sinn Fein sol pbp for change glad of the transfers glad Sinn Fein know that a weak fine geal fianna fail is their best advantage fg ff being tough on sf for decades good Sinn Fein remembers
Can’t wait for all these new houses and perfect health system
@Ro-your-nan: A bunch of monkeys would do a better job than FFG anyway so things can only get better.
@Laughable: well we will have 37 in the Dail soon so let’s see how they do
Amazing to think it was always the two main parties of FF and FG that benefited the most from votes being passed down in the past. The turnaround speaks volumes about how unhappy the public have been with our Governments performance. FFG need to do some serious thinking about the reasons why they have preformed so badly in this election. I like that…
Worrying to see the demise of centrist policies and a resurgence of populist and nationalist “change” not just overseas, but at home also.
As Waterford’s newest TD might say “tháinig ár lá”
@James Brady: It’s not the same kind of nationalist, Sinn Fein are now a centre left party, just slightly more left I think than FF used to be years ago.
The just also happen to be a nationalist all Ireland party.
Nothing like the nationalist stuff going in in Eastern Europe for example.
@James Brady: As a fellow Centrist I do feel obliged to ask. When, exactly, do you think we had centrist representation here exactly? I wish I’d known about it, I’ve been alternating between centre-left and centre-right my entire life. It seems tome that in this country centrists must vote tactically because we don’t get direct representation.
@James Brady: I genuinely struggle to see how many of FG policies could be considered centrist. They are a completely “market’ driven party. Also some of the scare mongering about left leaning policies is ridiculous. 5 budgets into a left coalition in Portugal and the country is doing well. For me the fundamental thing that FFG need to learn from this election is that there are some areas of society that the public are not prepared to leave to the market because the market is only interested in profits. People want a country defined by society first not economy first. Of course the economy is vital but it should be guided by the type of society we want not the other way round. I really believe that young people are changing the political landscape and those parties that cant adapt to what the people deem as important will perish.
@Gerard Smith: Amen, well articulated and exactly where we are at.
@James Brady: centrist Blueshirts got us into the mess we are in. Do you think they’ll get us out??
A TD should at least have a grasp of basic grammar. Did, not done.
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: That was exactly my thought!!! Delighted I wasn’t on my own!! Certainly “interesting” times ahead.
@Gerkygirl: Amoeba!
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: pardon out imperfect Oirish accent, can’t all go to Clongoes
@Gerkygirl: oh dear!!!! Not everybody speaks like you!!!! Whatever will you do???!!! Heavens sake. Why don’t you go and meet the guy, he’s one of the most hard-working, down to earth people I’ve ever met. So quick to judge, yet not bother to get to know a thing about them.. nice.
The fact that Gerry Adams stepped down as leader is why sein fein have done so well. He was the one who connected both sides of the i r a and sien fein and people found it hard to vote for them. Personally I would rather have seen Gerry Adams facing the troika than the spineless shower that gave our country away
@Danny Flynn: Don’t think so! These new votes for SF were protest and “anyone but FFG” votes. However none of these new voters voted for chants of “Up the Ra”. Foot shot SF! If they keep this up and there is a new election, SF will lose their new voters. Stay smart and transparent Mary Lou and keep a lid on your brand of nationalism!
@Paul Furey: people are sick of the lack of nationalism shown by the Blueshirt/FF wallows. The Black and Tans commemoration was got stuck in a lot of people’s throats! These lowlife traitors got what they deserved! A swift kick!
What are they going to do about the national debt first and foremost? Apparently 1/3 of income tax is going towards servicing the debt interest, €60 billion over the last 10 years. The only website I can find that states a current value puts it way above 200 billion. (Nearly 50k per head in the country). Our budget surplus is at the whim of interest rates. We need to play hardball to get closer to 0% interest so we have a chance at reducing it.
@Watchful Axe: it’s actually 63% of GDP which is lower than that of the UK at 86%.
We’re in debt but not as much as you think.
If corporations paid their fair share we’d be fine but we seem to have this inferiority complex in Ireland that we have to let corporations in and pay literally no tax, some pay less than 1%.
We’ve more to offer than low tax, a highly educated workforce, last native English speaking country in the EU, huge diaspora etc. Let them pay their fair share. Maybe then we could build houses, pay our debt and prosper.
@Laughable: But not only that! We are the European helpdesk for USA FDI entering Europe without tariffs!
The Shinners would be mad to go into Government with Fianna Fail..
@Just Some Guy: The Shinners are Mad without going anywhere.
Can someone tell me how the transfer system works? How do they decide the number of points/who they’ll be given to?
@Shala: The voting system
Ireland uses an electoral system called proportional representation with a single transferable vote.
This sounds complex, but it can be broken down into simple terms.
The voter marks their ballot card in order of preference, which means writing the number 1 opposite their first choice, 2 beside their second favourite and so on.
If the candidate marked as the voters first choice is eliminated or elected without needing the vote then the vote is transferred to the second candidate.
The transfer of votes between party candidates often plays an important part in ensuring they are elected.
@Stephen Kane: Ah I see. Thanks for that Stephen. I could never understand how the surplus was divided up.
@Shala: makes for great elections!!!
What a mess, the left is split too much in this country.
What most commentators are not even mentioning is the fact that the more the Blueshirt/West Brit media went ballistic telling people that SF were not normal or whatever, with editorials screaming for people to not vote SF, the more people were going to vote SF. People are sick and tired of the likes of Stephen Collins in the Unionist Times screaming blue murder and don’t want to be dictated to by a bunch of out-of-touch Blueshirts!! Away with ya!!
‘Not looking good’ is not conceding
Four peddle and crankers!
@Pat Coyne: go to bed pash!
Yeah voters trusted Sinn Fein sol pbp for change glad of the transfers glad Sinn Fein know that a weak fine geal fianna fail is their best advantage fg ff being tough on sf for decades good Sinn Fein remembers
have your say