Wicklow County Council acquires Magheramore lands with access to famous beach
A long-running campaign to bring an 8.6 hectare site overlooking
Magheramore Beach
in Co
Wicklow
into public ownership has been successful.
Wicklow County Council
announced on Wednesday that it has bought the property which includes access to the popular Magheramore Beach, after a
Chinese bidder successful at a recent auction
withdrew from the sale.
The council said it was 'pleased' to announce the successful purchase of the 'beachfront parcel of land' which 'offers panoramic views of the beach and the Irish Sea.'
The council noted the site was 'previously owned by the Columban order of sisters before being sold multiple times'.
READ MORE
In 2021 the site was offered for sale by auction with a guide price of €210,000. Wicklow County Council was an underbidder at the auction. The successful bidder was a company
backed by Paddy McKillen jnr and Matthew Ryan
, who paid a reported €700,000 for the lands.
The duo's attempts to develop a €40 million surf school, accommodation, restaurant and other facilities through their company Creatively Pacific Ltd were ultimately rejected by Bord Pleanála.
Creatively Pacific, a subsidiary of building firm Oakmount, had also sought approval for a resort facility that was to include a gym, cinema, bar, an outdoor pool and 48 'high-quality accommodation pods'.
Following the refusal, the site was put back on the market and Wicklow County Council again emerged as the underbidder in March of this year. The successful bidder was understood to be a Chinese man who offered €613,000 for the property at a Bid X1 auction.
After the successful bidder decided not to proceed with the sale, Wicklow County Council was given the opportunity to step in and acquire the property.
On Wednesday the council said 'the acquisition of the land at Magheramore will guarantee continued access to the beloved beach'.
Magheramore Beach is an undeveloped sandy beach between Brittas Bay and Blainroe Golf Club. It is accessed by steps down a cliffside at the end of a long laneway from a local road and is popular with day-trippers, swimmers and surfers.
The beach has been used as a location for several TV shows, including Vikings, Camelot, Redwater, and Finding Joy.
The beach is adjacent to the Magherabeg Special Area of Conservation and a natural heritage area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Rules for renters: What are the planned reforms and will they work?
What's happening to the rules governing renting? A proposed overhaul of rules is going before Cabinet on Tuesday morning. It would see a significant shake-up in the rental market in the months ahead. What are the current rules? Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) were introduced in 2016 to cap rent increases in areas where there was a very high demand for housing and rental homes. Initially, RPZs were confined to large urban centres but, as the housing crisis deepened, more and more areas were designated RPZs. In these locations, as it stands, rent increases cannot be greater than the rate of inflation or 2 per cent – whichever is lower. What are the changes proposed? The Government is planning to keep the caps for existing tenancies, at least to a large degree, while easing restrictions on rent increases for newly built homes. The plan – and it has yet to be agreed – would see the current RPZ annual caps not apply to new buildings constructed after a certain date, with the rents in qualifying properties instead to be tied to inflation. [ Rent controls to be eased for new builds in planned 'pressure zones' reform Opens in new window ] And why would the Government create what looks like a two-tiered rental system? In fairness, there is already a two-tiered system, with some properties in RPZs and some not, so what the Government is considering is a three-tiered system. READ MORE What is the market currently like for rents? Rents are climbing faster than at any point over the past 20 years, with the national monthly average between January and March surpassing €2,000 for the first time, according to a report from That compares to a low of just €765 in 2011. Why are rents climbing so fast? Much of that increase is down to a lack of supply. There were just 2,300 homes available to rent nationally on May 1st, down 14 per cent year-on-year and the third-lowest total for May in 20 years. In a properly functioning market that number should be closer to 10,000. Why is supply such an issue? There are many, many reasons but the author of the report, Trinity College Dublin economist Ronan Lyons, has said changes made to rent controls in 2021 when rent caps were reduced from 4 per cent to 2 per cent 'dramatically reduced the ability of Ireland's rental sector to attract the capital needed for new supply, the ultimate remedy for the shortage'. And this overhaul is aimed at attracting that capital, is that correct? That is the rationale, certainly. The thinking is that if rent restrictions are eased for new apartments, more money will pour into the sector and more apartments will be built, which will ease the pressure on the market as a whole. Will the owners of these new builds be able to charge what they want? They will be able to charge what the market will bear, for sure. However, there is some good news for people who are renting now: under the proposals the existing cap of 2 per cent will remain in place – at least for existing tenancies, but landlords will be able to increase the rent to the market rate between tenancies, something which is not permitted under the current rules. [ Ireland's rising rents: 'Our budget would have been €1,300 a month, there isn't even anything listed for that' Opens in new window ] Surely that will incentivise landlords to evict their current tenants so they can get new ones in and charge them more? That is undoubtedly a fear. Under the proposals going before Cabinet, there will be more protections put in place for renters for a minimum of six years. During that period, there will be restrictions put in place on no-fault evictions. At the end of a six-year period, a landlord will be able to reset the rent to the market rate. Opposition parties have questioned the adequacy of these planned protections. Will the changes work? That is the big, big question. It is undoubtedly in the Government's interests that it does work. Part of the Government's pitch to voters in the run-up to the last general election was that the State had turned a corner on housing and that the supply of new homes would hit 40,000 in 2024. Completions instead fell by 7 per cent to 30,000. Housing commencements, which indicate future supply, have also fallen off a cliff, with housing starts in the first quarter of 2025 eight times down on last year and at their at their lowest level since 2016. The rate of building when it comes to apartments is even worse. What are interested parties saying about the proposals? Many are unconvinced. The housing charity Threshold has welcomed the degree of security it will give to tenants if restrictions on no-fault evictions are imposed for a six-year period. However, it stressed that it could actually push more people into homelessness if the RPZs are diluted. Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin dismissed the plan as 'utter madness' and said renters were being punished for Government housing failures by even higher rents and greater uncertainty. Mary Conway of the Irish Property Owners Association was downbeat for other reasons. 'There seems to be so many tiers to it and, while the institutional investors are getting favoured, there is nothing for the small property owners and nothing happening for rural areas – that is our biggest concern.' Ian Lawlor or Roundtower Capital, which funds building projects, said the proposals increased rather than reduced uncertainty, adding what was needed was all-party buy in for a 10-year plan 'to deliver these houses at scale'. He warned that the new measures would show those currently in the market that they were not valued. 'Small investors are leaving the market [and] they'll continue to sell up and leave.' Dr Lyons was more upbeat about the measures. He said, while the 'devil would be in the detail', it was a 'qualified positive' step. 'I don't think it's going to make that much a difference between the older and the newer stock. The more important change to me is the resetting when the tenant leaves. 'I think one of the biggest challenges institutional investors have is the combination of very low annual increases and the inability to reset when a tenant leaves. It's certainly not everything investors would have wanted but it might be considered a step in the right direction to encourage new rental supply. So I think it is a qualified positive.'
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Data centres left waiting for grid connections and sharing home EV chargers
Fifteen data centres around the State have been waiting for up to three years for decisions on getting connected to the national gas grid, writes Hugh Dooley. That comes as senior industry executive Peter Lantry warns a number of Irish retail data centres are nearing maximum capacity or 'going dark'. Sticking with energy, Ciara O'Brien writes that electric vehicle charging company EasyGo and the Department of Transport are rolling out a pilot programme that will see homeowners paid to share off-street car chargers with neighbours and members of the public. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has winkled out figures that show Ireland is the second-largest destination worldwide for exports from Israel . The 2024 figures from UN data, broadly by the Central Statstics Office, provide, he writes, a curious counterpoint to the frayed diplomatic relations between Dublin and Tel Aviv. From one controversy to another – the never-ending will it/won't it argument about Dublin's Metrolink project. Danish engineering group Ramboll, which is already working with Dublin Airport and on an EV infrastructure consultancy project for Government, says it would be interested in bidding for work on any Dublin metro project. Barry O'Halloran reports. READ MORE The world of work is increasingly competitive but even by that standard, reports that as many as 57 per cent of US workers made redundant in the past two years received the news by email or phone comes as a surprise. Pilita Clark considers it brutal and unacceptable. A scheme allowing private citizens to invest some of the €143 billion they hold on deposit in banks into housing development through a State-backed investment vehicle should be considered by Government, the incoming president of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland says, adding the current level of public investment in housing is 'unsustainable'. Separately, a report from recruiter Excel, says Ireland is making a mistake in dragging short-term and seasonal workers into the State's pension auto-enrolmen t programme. It says changes are needed to make the scheme more user friendly. Finally, an Opinion piece by Dan Pender looks at the challenge between those driving advances in artificial intelligence and those charged with regulating the technology. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Moving from Dublin to rural Ireland: ‘Every time we went away we loved all the green around us. Then we thought, let's just go do it'
With traffic, queues and people – so many people – town and city life can lose its lustre, and many dream of moving to the peace and quiet of the countryside for more space, and often better value . Having land and property in picturesque rural settings can also provide opportunity in itself – in the form of tourism, food production and even pet training. Siobhán Owens has devoted her life to animals since she began volunteering with the DSPCA in Ballymun, north Dublin, in 1989. 'It's a small selection of people, along with plants and animals,' that make her happy, she says, speaking from her home in Athboy, Co Westmeath . Her youngest daughter starting college was the catalyst for her and her husband Jonathan to bite the bullet and move with their family to the countryside, where Owens would have the land to expand her pet-training business, Dublin and Meath Pet School. READ MORE 'Every time we went away – we'd go on camping and caravan holidays in Ireland – and when we were sitting there in those caravans with all that green around us, we said: 'Oh, isn't this wonderful? Isn't this what we love?' And then we thought, let's just go do it.' Siobhan Owens, owner of Dublin and Meath Pet School. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times In 2023 the Owens family sold their four-bedroom semidetached home in Finglas and moved to a three-bedroom bungalow with a big attic (that they hope to convert) in Athboy, just over the border from Meath in Co Westmeath. Most importantly, the property is on more than 5.8 acres of land, providing more than enough space for Owens to carry out obedience classes and behavioural assessments on her four-legged clients. She continues to operate home visits in Dublin as she always has done, but it's much better to carry out assessments of dogs in a safe and secure space on her land in Athboy rather than in public parks where other dogs and owners tend to interrupt, she says. [ How to move job, move country and find a new social scene Opens in new window ] One of the Owens's first logistical considerations was for two of their children, both in their 20s, to get their driving licenses so they could drive back and forth to Dublin for work and college. It turned out to be much quicker to get their driving test at the Navan test centre than to graduate from the waiting list they had been on in Dublin, and they both got sorted quickly – a benefit of living in a less populated area. [ Naoise Dolan: Moving home to Ireland was an easy decision. Here's what I've learned Opens in new window ] Not having a convenience shop within walking distance of their home was something the family had to get used to though, Owens says. 'It could be a little annoying. I'd suddenly discover that there is this one ingredient that I'm missing and I have to get in the car and drive. But it's just a seven-minute drive away, so it's not the end of the world.' The Owens family moved out of Dublin for a quieter life and to find space for Siobhán to operate her dog-training business. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Jonathan also has to commute to work in Dublin city centre more often now that the company he works for called for a return to the office, whereas he had previously been able to work from home in the wake of the Covid pandemic, she says. 'He just gets up a little bit earlier and he gets in just ahead of the traffic and that's really all that you have to do. There's always a way around it. If you really want to [move to the country], hesitation is going to be your biggest hindrance,' Owens says. And despite the commute her husband has no regrets. 'Listen, he's out there on his tractor going around the land in the sun, having a great time. It's great for the mental health,' she says. 'We adapted to the country lifestyle very easily and now we just come home in the evening and have all the green around and you have peace and quiet, and I just love it.' Two donkeys have also taken up residence at the Owens' new home. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times The grounds have also become home to two donkeys and two horses, which Owens adopted from My Lovely Horse Rescue, as well as chickens which produce eggs for the household and are 'whistle-trained' to come out and say hello on command. She also grows an array of vegetables, has installed a hive to attract bees and has plans to rewild an area of marsh land and add a pond. Siobhan Owen with one of her three dogs Morgan on the Agility Course. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Just a 10-minute drive across the border into Co Meath is another dog-friendly business, the Pheasant Lane short-stay retreat, near the village of Clonmellon. Geraldine Curran and her husband Derek Keogh bought the early 1800s farmhouse and outbuildings as their first home together in 2018 for €165,000, Curran says. There are often pheasants around the place, she says, but her inspiration for the property's name came to her was when she saw a hen followed by 10 or so chicks waddling up the lane. She originally stumbled upon the listing for the property one weekend and thought she'd have to wait until Monday to view it, but when she called selling agent Chris Smith from Quillsen, he got the couple a viewing that Sunday afternoon, and they immediately fell in love with it. Geraldine Curran of Pheasant Lane Retreat, Killacroy, Clonmellon, Co Meath. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times 'The driveway sold it to us because it's a beautiful 300m-plus driveway and it was just idyllic; there was a new forest just planted around it, it was two or three years old at that stage, but now it's matured over eight years and it's all around the house ... and the birds are constantly singing,' Curran says. Curran grew up living in a B&B run by her family in Spiddal on the Co Galway coast, and both she and Keogh have a background in hospitality, so they saw the potential to convert the cut-stone outbuildings into guest accommodation. Pheasant Lane is a short-stay retreat. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times Geraldine Curran offers a range of holistic therapies on-site. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times With a little help from their friends, they have converted them into three short-stay cottages – two of which are named after their mothers, Iris and Sarah – catering for guests who want to take a break and breathe in some fresh countryside air. Trained in holistic therapies, Curran has a therapy room on the property where she provides a range of services from reflexology to Indian head massage. Also on site for guests are two hot tubs and a barbecue hut. 'I love having people around but I also like my own company so the short-term rentals work quite well; you have the best of both worlds' Curran says. Potential 'working homes' Renovation opportunity in Rathosey Rathosey, Coolaney, Co Sligo Rathosey, Coolaney, Co Sligo Rathosey, Coolaney, Co Sligo €248,000, Sherry FitzGerald The right person could make something really special out of this property near the village of Coolaney, and 20km outside Sligo town. It contains a fully converted, beautifully fitted-out outbuilding, where you could live comfortably while developing the rest of the property. The main house on the site is a derelict period farmhouse, but with a healthy budget and the right know-how, it could be transformed into a guest house or retreat space. There is also a hay barn and old farm sheds on this 7.4 acre plot. Artistic inspiration in west Cork Dunkelly Middle, Goleen, Cork Dunkelly Middle, Goleen, Co Cork €975,000, Charles McCarthy Auctioneers Artists, writers or craftspeople may find inspiration in the stunning views from this contemporary waterfront property on Mizen Peninsula overlooking Dunmanus Bay towards the Sheep's Head Peninsula in west Cork . The property comes with approximately 30 acres of land and potential to add separate studio buildings, a workshop or guest accommodation to create an artist's retreat centre. Extending to 235 sq m (2,530 sq ft), the home is B2 Ber-rated and has three bedrooms. It is just a 10-minute drive from Goleen village and 20 minutes from Schull. Horsey haven in Co Monaghan Annacramph, Castleshane, Co Monaghan Annacramph, Castleshane, Co Monaghan €250,000, Sherry FitzGerald Conor McManus If you have ever dreamed of turning your love of horses into a business, this property on 7 acres may be the right place to do it. It is currently home to two horses and offers them plenty of field space, as well as two stables. The house itself extends to 67 sq m (721 sq ft) and has three bedrooms. It is in decent condition but could do with a cosmetic refresh, and the E2 Ber rating will need to be addressed. You can easily access both the Dublin Road (N2) and Armagh Road (N12) from this tranquil spot. B&B by the Brosna Riverside House, Charlestown, Clara, Co Offaly Riverside House, Charlestown, Clara, Co Offaly €345,000, Mark Nestor Property Services This four-bedroom, five-bathroom period town house sits right beside the River Park in the charming town of Clara. With a C1 Ber, this home needs an enterprising new owner to give the interior a modern refresh to restore it to its former glory as a B&B. It has a spacious driveway to the front for guest parking and a lovely back garden where you could grow fruit and vegetables to delight your guests. It is walking distance from the town and train station, where there are services to Dublin Heuston, Galway, Athlone and Westport.
