Clare County Council grants permission for 67-home scheme at Former Shannon Shamrock Hotel, Bunratty, Co. Clare

In context

It is one of 24 housing scheme applications Clare County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,561 nationally. Of the 3,032 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 79% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 25 September 2025. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Clare County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

for development comprising the regeneration of an existing brownfield site at the site of the former Shannon Shamrock Hotel at Bunratty, Co. Clare. A seven year planning permission is sought to demolish the existing hotel and ancillary outbuildings and to provide for the phased delivery of a mixed use development including provision of: (a) 67 no. residential units comprising 20 no. 2 bed houses and 47 no. 3 bed houses; (b) 1 no. convenience retail store of 470sqm (net) floor area; (c) 6 no. retail / office units including 4 no. units of 167sqm (net) floor area and 2 no. retail / office units of 231sqm (net) floor area intended to accommodate Class 1 & Class 2 Uses; (d) a bat house; and (e) all ancillary site development works including (i) car & bicycle parking; (ii) bin storage; (iii) signage; (iv) 2 no. ESB sub-stations; and (v) public lighting. The existing conference centre building shall be retained on site and shall form part of a future phase of development. The application is accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement