Planning approved for coffee and snack business at Laois GAA grounds

A coffee and snack container in the car park of a Laois GAA grounds has been granted planning permission. 

Owen Donegan applied to Laois County Council for retention planning permission for the container which has been selling snacks and coffee at McCann Park GAA grounds in Portarlington. 

The conditional planning approval follows a lengthy planning process which included the rezoning of a small piece of land at the GAA grounds where the business is located. 

In a previous application, Mr Donegan had stated that the business was similar to a coffee shop operating at Sarsfields GAA Club in Newbridge, Co Kildare. 

He stated that the container only takes up a small footprint at the GAA grounds in Portarlington and provides employment to seven people and a livelihood to the owner.

Laois County Council had refused planning permission for the coffee and snack container in August 2024 because the site inside the GAA ground was not zoned for business use. The Council’s decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala, who upheld the Council’s decision and rejected the plans in March of 2025. 

In the same month, Laois Councillors voted to amend the Portarlington Local Area Plan 2025 to 2031 to facilitate the business on the GAA grounds. Those plans went out for public consultation following the approval.  

When the zoning was approved, Mr Donegan again sought retention planning permission for the coffee and snack container last September. The planning application attracted no submissions. 

According to Laois County Council's planners report, four car parking spaces are taken up by the business.  “It appears that a drive thru sales is operated at this location, with sales occurring from a hatch at the front elevation. A walk-up service is provided for via a hatch on the site elevation. The business operates 7 days a week, opening from 7am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 3pm on Sundays. As such, this enterprise operates independently from GAA activities and is not ancillary to established use of the site,” the planner stated.  

The planner noted “the development is classed as Commercial as per the Councils adopted Development Contribution Scheme 2025-2031. Development contributions will apply in the event of a grant of retention permission. Furthermore, it is considered that a charge is also applicable due to the deficit in the provision of car parking spaces.”

The planner recommended approving the plans subject to seven conditions. The plans were then approved subject to seven conditions on November 3.