This article is from page 12 of the 2006-06-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
CLARE County Council has refused plans for a heritage park in Doolin that would celebrate Clare’s mythical legends.
Last January, Joe and Mairead Dalton lodged plans for a visitor centre at Carnaun, Doolin, seeking to transform seven acres of land into a park.
The Daltons anticipated that, by the third year of operation, 32,000 tourists would visit their planned attraction each year.
However, An Taisce lodged a strong objection, stating that, “There is a general principle felt by locals that invasive tourist attractions should not be encouraged in the Burren and we are in the process of having the whole region upgraded into a development-free zone”.
In refusing planning permission, the council stated that the proposed development for a visitor centre detached from the settlement of Cooygulla/Doolin and which did not provide for ancillary accommodation and recreational facilities would be contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.
The council ruled that the proposed development would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard because capacity of roads was inadequate to cater for increased traffic movements which would be generated.
The council also ruled that the proposals would be prejudicial to public health due to concerns that the site could not be able to adequately treat and dispose of effluent.
In their submission, the Daltons claim that their park integrates conceptually and physically with the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, linking with the extraordinary amount of ancient monuments in the area.
They also claim that there is no similar attraction in north Clare, or even Ireland.
They state that the heritage park add another dimension to north Clare tourism.
In their planning application, the Daltons state that visitors would follow an outdoor trail along which would be depicted stories from three prehistoric cycles of legends, including the Tuatha de Danaan, Cúchulainn and the Fianna, as well as information about the historical background of the legends and ancient texts that record them.
Advocating the plan, the Daltons state that the atmosphere of ancient wilderness and forest is impossible to achieve near a town.
The Daltons now have one month in which to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála.