THE DUBLIN seaside suburb of Clontarf is no stranger to battles, and a new fight is in the offing as part of an older war.

At issue is the future of the Clontarf Baths site, the home of a seawater bathing pool since the 1800s.

The facility shut its doors in the early 1990s and has been derelict since, to the chagrin of local swimmers.

Some movement came in 1997, when former Olympian Stephen Cullen, also of the Seafield Hotel in Gorey, Co Wexford, bought the site and lodged plans to redevelop it.

Unfortunately for Cullen, several versions of his plans, which variously included tea rooms, a luxury day spa, a gourmet food store and a two-storey restaurant, were rebuffed by the planning authorities over the next decade, leaving the site to settle further into its derelict state.

This summer has, however, breathed new life into the project, with fresh plans recently lodged by the catchily named Clontarf Baths and Assembly Rooms Company Ltd, of which Cullen is not listed as a director in Companies Registration Office records.

This time, the vision is a touch more modest, encompassing the restoration of the existing baths and the construction of a single-storey “pavilion” restaurant and cafe/bar.

The plans, submitted by Dublin firm Noonan Moran Architecture, attracted a number of comments before a closing date fell earlier this month.

Former Dublin lord mayor Gerry Breen, who is chairman of Dublin Bay Watch, was particularly concerned about what the community would gain from the development, while Clontarf Residents’ Association disapproved on a mere 15 grounds, including zoning, traffic and opening hours.

The comments will be all too familiar for the developers, who are doubtless readying themselves for another long haul.