Objection to holiday homes beside historic Laois house

A planning appeal has been lodged against plans to build holiday homes and farm worker accommodation beside a historic Laois house. 

Newshore Limited were granted permission to build eight houses for holiday rentals and two houses to accommodate farm workers at Tinnakill, Raheen. The plans, which include demolishing some existing haysheds, were approved by Laois County Council in December subject to 22 conditions. 

In November 2022, Tenakill House owner Kevin Lalor-Fitzpatrick lodged a submission with the council objecting to the plans.

“The farm buildings in question were part of the family farm on which I grew up and are part of the long and illustrious history of the Lalor family. This family included Patrick Lalor, the first Catholic MP for the Queen's County after Catholic Emancipation, and his three sons, the revolutionary writer James Fintan Lalor, the Australian rebel and national icon Peter Lalor, and the nationalist MP Richard Lalor,” he wrote. 

He sold the land but thought the old buildings would remain in agricultural use. “I did not envisage that they would be used for residential development and am strongly opposed to this idea.”

“The new buildings which are proposed are unsuited to this rural place, and the restoration of the buildings changes the look of the fine stone buildings, which are visible from Tenakill House.”

“I have been working with the Tenakill Lalor House Restoration Committee to preserve and restore Tenakill House. This house and the Lalor family are a very important part of the history of Co Laois. The importance of this family was acknowledged by the Australian ambassador to Ireland when he launched our programme of restoration in 2015.”

This development will detract from our plans to create a heritage attraction and should not be granted,” he stated in his submission to Laois County Council. 

Funding opens in Laois for conservation of old buildings

The Tenakill Lalor House Restoration Committee also objected to the proposal in a submission to the council. 

Through their architect, the committee said they had not been consulted during the design of the development. 

“The proposed development is entirely new-build, is of suburban character and is of larger scale than the existing historic outbuildings which it would replace,” they argued. 

“The Tenakill Lalor House Restoration Committee is a community group set up with the aim of creating a visitor attraction at the birthplace of James Fintan Lalor and his brother Peter Lalor, two of the most famous and influential historical figures to have been born in the county. Great progress has been made over the past number of years to secure the structure and to rebuild lost features, and a feasibility study is currently in preparation with funding from Laois Partnership,” they committee stated. 

“The restoration of the house will be of great benefit to the cultural heritage and economic welfare of the local area, and of the wider county. To succeed, it is essential that the curtilage and setting of Tenakill House be protected from inappropriate or ill- considered development. For the reasons outlined above we urge you to refuse permission for this proposal,” they added. 

Despite the objections, Laois County Council approved the plans and the Tenakill Lalor House Restoration Committee has now appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. It is due to rule on the matter on May 18.