US President Donald Trump suffered a blow as he was denied planning permission to build a coastal wall on the edge of his golf course.
Trump had wanted to build a wall to protect his Doonbeg resort in Co Clare.
Trump’s company TIGL Ireland Enterprises Limited had argued that failure to build a wall ‘will bring the viability of the entire resort and its potential closure into question’.
Clare County Council had initially approved the application in 2017, but that decision has now been overturned by independent body An Bord Pleanála.
The TIGL plan would involve disturbing the Carrowmore Dunes Special Area of Conservation.
Several bodies and charities were against the plan for this reason, including An Taisce, Friends of the Irish Environment, the Save Doughmore-Doonbeg Beach Community Group and the Save the Waves Coalition.
An Bord Pleanála said the plans failed to include adequate assurances that physical structure, functionality and sediment supply of dune would be protected.
Ian Lumley of An Taisce said: “This is an important vindication of the need to have an independent national planning appeals body making decisions on a scientific and ecological basis. The golf resort at Doonbeg now needs to work with nature in the future in maintaining the structure and ecological integrity of the dune system.”
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara was one of those who were not happy with the decision.
He stated: “We need to look very carefully at this decision to see how the dunes and the golf course, as well as farms and homes behind these dunes can be protected in a manner compatible with the environment.
“There simply has to be a way to do so, particularly as much stone, which formed a natural barrier, was removed for roadworks in previous decades.”
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling