COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, February 04, 2016

MOTION NO. 203

MOTION: Councillor R. McMahon

Re Schedule 2 Protected Structures - Add Carthys Castle to the RPS in order to save what is left of it, as it was a significant building in its day.

REPORT:

A similar request to add ‘Carthy’s Castle’ to the Record of Protected Structures was the subject of a submission on the Draft County Development Plan (CE Report Ref 0210).

Under the Planning development Act 2000 (as amended), a structure can only be designated as a protected structure where it is, in the opinion of the planning authority, of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest. The Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2004 also advise that it is only considered appropriate to give protection through the RPS to structures that may be subject to re-use. The criteria for determining the special interest of a structure are also set out under the guidelines.

As part of the review of the Draft Plan, South Dublin County Council commissioned an independent review of its Record of Protected Structures, with a view to identifying structures that merit addition or deletion including those within existing and proposed Architectural Conservation Areas. The review (entitled ‘Review of Record of Protected Structures 2014/15’, 2015) was carried out by a Conservation Consultant and a total of 180 structures were inspected for the purpose of this review. As part of the appraisal the special interest of each structure proposed for inclusion on the Record of Protected Structure was provided.

The subject structure was included in the independent review and, from an analysis of historic mapping, it appears that ‘Carthy’s Castle’ comprises the ruins of the corner section of a former house (Montpelier House) that has long been demolished. The remaining structure is not recorded in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) and is also not listed as a Recorded Monument under the Record of Monuments and Places, which is maintained by the National Monuments Service and largely relates to archaeological sites dating to before 1700.

It is considered that the remaining ruinous section of the former Mountpelier House is extremely unlikely to be re-used and is not of sufficient interest to merit designation as a Protected Structure when assessed against the requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the recommendations of the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.