Observation pack · Clare County Council

Cairde Restaurant , Barrack St , Ennis Co Clare

the proposed development will consist of the conversion of previous upstairs “ over the shop type” accommodation into a standalone apartment, removal of an internal stairs and construction of a fire rated independent staircase to the rear of the building together with all associated and ancillary site works

Observations close 5 Oct 2026 window closed

5 weeks from receipt (received 31 Aug 2026) · s.34 Planning and Development Act 2000 · art. 29 Regulations 2001 · fee €20 · council decision due 25 Oct 2026

The five-week window has passed. Late observations are returned unread. If the council has decided, the next door is the appeal window — but under s.37 only the applicant and those who made a valid observation may appeal.

The application

Reference: 2660570 · full record
Authority: Clare County Council
Type: PERMISSION
Status: NEW APPLICATION
Applicant: not published by the national dataset — see the council register
Units: 0
Floor area: —
Site area: 109 m²
Received: 31 Aug 2026
We first saw it: 18 Sept 2026, 15:44
Decision due: 25 Oct 2026
Decision: N/a

The national dataset truncates descriptions (80 characters for DLR, 70 for Fingal) and omits the applicant. The full description and the drawings are on the council register linked in step 1.

How to submit an observation

Read the file on the council register.Drawings, planning statement and site notices are at http://www.eplanning.ie/ClareCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660570/0.
Write your observation.Quote 2660570 at the top, give your name and the address the authority should reply to, and confine it to planning matters — zoning objective, height, overlooking, traffic, drainage, heritage. What you say here is what you can later appeal on.
Pay the €20 fee.Every submission needs it; without it the observation is invalid and is returned. Clare County Council takes it online with the submission or at the counter.
Submit before 5 Oct 2026.Online through the register above, or in writing to the Planning Department, Clare County Council. The test is the date the authority receives it, not the date you post it.
Keep the acknowledgement.The council's receipt is your proof of a valid observation — see below.

Statutory basis. Section 34(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) requires a planning authority to consider any submission or observation made to it in accordance with the Regulations. Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) sets the window: a submission or observation must be received by the authority within five weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the application, and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of €20. A submission received after the window, or without the fee, is invalid and the authority must return it.

After you submit: keep the acknowledgement. Under the 2024 Act it secures your right to appeal — only the applicant and a person who made a valid observation may bring the council's decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála, within four weeks of the decision. Making a valid observation is also what buys a right of appeal: under s.37(1) of the 2000 Act, only the applicant and a person who made a valid submission or observation to the planning authority may appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála (within four weeks of the decision). Missing the five-week window closes both doors.

What the site is zoned

Code	Objective	Plan	In force
M2 Major town centre	Mixed Use: The use of land for ‘mixed use’ developments shall incl. the use of land for a range of uses, making provision, where appropriate, for primary and secondary uses e.g. commercial/retail development as the primary use with residential dev. as secondary	CL-001:DP:ennis-and-environs	20 Apr 2023 → 19 Apr 2029

An application that accords with the zoning objective is hard to resist on principle; one that does not may be a material contravention, which the council can only grant by the s.34(6) procedure with its own notice and window.

Source: CLARE CL-001:DP:ennis-and-environs · fetched 27 Sept 2026, 19:37

Source	Licence	Fetched	Link
CLARE CL-001:DP:ennis-and-environs	—	27 Sept 2026, 19:37	open

Designations on or near the site

NIAH-recorded building × 2
house · shop/retail outlet
Recorded monument × 3
Gatehouse · Burial ground · R120052

Nearby precedents within 500 m, last 5 years

Decisions

Reference	Decision	Decided	Units	Distance	Description
26184	Conditional	19 Aug 2026	0	78 m	of extension to private garage
2660421	Conditional	17 Aug 2026	1	409 m	for a) to alter, extend & refurbish existing derelict dwelling house (V95 W9VC) b) reconfigure existing vehicular entrance including all associated site works & services
268006	Unconditional	14 Jul 2026	0	496 m	to carry out the following development: The proposed works shall include for the following: 1) Change of use of the building from permitted multi-use community spaces including arts studios, classrooms, conference spaces, exhibition and heritage spaces, tourism space, kitchen/cafe, adopted under Part 8 Ref. No. 24-8016 to a new tourism experience building inclusive of exhibition space, community space, retail and offices. 2) New open plan entrance & arrivals courtyard on the western facing range to be created by demolishing the existing doorway, adjacent wall, first floor terrace & by lowering the parapet walls, The smooth plaster render is to be removed in this area only, to expose the buildings original construction. Proposed new floating metal canopy cover. 3) New visitor reception area, toilet block, office space, plant rooms and exhibition areas on the ground with new passenger lift to service all three floors. 4) First floor office and staff welfare area, meeting room, multi-purpose community and education room. 5) Attic/second floor storage areas and plant room. In accordance with the Habitats Directive, Appropriate Assessment Screening has been carried out on this project. The screening report accompanies the planning application. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening determination has been made and concludes that there is no real likelihood of significant effects on the environment arising from the proposed development and an EIA is not required. This development proposes works to a protected structure, RPS No: 736 / NIAH No: 2000141 as noted in the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029 Volume 4, and that is part of a National Monument No. 170 / RMP CL033-082001-Ennis Friary Complex
2653	Refused	16 Apr 2026	1	157 m	for the renovation of an existing derelict bakery building, the addition of a 28m2 two storey rear extension and the conversion to a 112.81m2 two storey dwelling together with connection to existing services and all associated ancillary site works
2560555	Conditional	16 Mar 2026	0	331 m	for development which will consist of (a) Removal of existing stone steps and handrail at main entrance to accommodate new ramp and steps. (b)Construction of a new external TGD Part M compliant accessible ramp and steps, to include stone clad plinth with toughened glass balustrade and stainless steel handrail. And all associated site works. This building is a protected structure (NBHS ref no. 20000006 and RPS ref no. 704) and is within an architectural conservation area
2660044	Refused	10 Mar 2026	1	159 m	for a change of use of the existing ground floor retail unit to a one-bedroom apartment, together with alterations to the front elevation including new windows and all associated works
2560765	Conditional	6 Feb 2026	0	63 m	for the removal of the existing flagstone paving and access steps to the Cathedral entrance plaza; the construction of a new reconfigured stepped stone access together with new stone paving to the entrance plaza; the refurbishment of the existing Marian shrine; and all associated site development works and services necessary to facilitate the proposed development at St. Peter & Paul Cathedral, Upper O'Connell Street, Ennis, Co. Clare. The proposed development is located within the curtilage of the protected structures of St. Peter & Paul Cathedral (RPS No.781) and the Parochial House (RPS No 782)
2560527	Conditional	29 Jan 2026	0	437 m	for development at (Record of Protected Structure No. 742). The area of the existing ground floor is 191.7m² and first floor is 134.5m². The development will consist of the following and all associated site works and services: 1) Change of use of the existing ground and first floor from office to language school. 2) Internal modifications comprising of the following: 3) New wall construction for stair lobbies. 4) Subdivision of the ground floor reception room into an office and reception. 5) Enlarging existing door openings. 6) New disabled wc to the ground floor. 7) Construction of new doors to the ground and first floors. 8) Fire rating of the existing first floor. 9) New fire rated doors. 10) Connection to existing services and all associated site development works

Appeals

ACP case	Type	Outcome	Decided	Distance
501090	—	Refused	16 Jul 2026	159 m
501336	—	pending	13 May 2026	157 m
322944	—	Granted with conditions	29 Oct 2025	230 m
317927	—	Granted with conditions	6 Aug 2024	244 m
313570	—	Granted with conditions	17 Jun 2024	220 m
314394	—	Granted with conditions	9 Apr 2024	396 m
311285	—	Granted with conditions	17 Jan 2022	252 m
310559	—	Invalid	29 Nov 2021	251 m

If neighbours here have appealed before and lost, the inspector's report on that case is the single most useful thing to read.

What has happened on this file

31 Aug 2026 New application · observations close 5 Oct 2026
31 Aug 2026 Decision

Generated from the Planning Register store; nothing was fetched live for this page. Source: national planning dataset, fetched 18 Sept 2026, 15:44. Not legal advice — confirm the deadline with Clare County Council before relying on it.