Councillors in Kerry yesterday unanimously rescinded a proposal to allow an industrial storage facility on land alongside one of the country's most popular viewing points overlooking the Lakes of Killarney.
The council also moved an emergency motion to begin enforcement proceedings under the planning acts to move a circus big top which moved on to the viewing point at Aghadoe over the weekend.
Last night the circus was preparing to take down its top after the intervention of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue.
A spokesman for the Minister said Fáilte Ireland, who own the viewing point at Aghadoe, had not entered into a contract with the circus. Mr O'Donoghue contacted the tourism authority yesterday following complaints from locals. Failte Ireland officials visited the site yesterday afternoon. It is understood the circus believed they had permission.
The establishment of a circus for Easter at the viewing point, which is frequented by hundreds of tourists and is directly opposite a five-star hotel, provoked uproar. The councillors' majority (14 votes to six) decision in January to zone four acres at Aghadoe to allow developer Con Duggan to construct the storage facility attracted up to 100 submissions from residents and local hoteliers. Public meetings were also organised against the move.
Following the outcry, Mr Duggan told the council he did not wish to proceed.
On a proposal yesterday by councillor Brendan Cronin, councillors voted unanimously to rescind the decision. Mr Cronin said a message needed to be sent to all developers: "Aghadoe must be preserved."
Independent councillor Danny Healy-Rae apologised to residents for supporting the initial proposal. It had taken the residents unawares and "the way it was presented to me, it seemed to be all right". He suggested all such zoning proposals be advertised publicly.
However, councillor Toireasa Ferris (SF) said that was the way the process was done anyway.
"There seems to be a lot of bad decisions in this chamber . . . We shouldn't come under pressure from individual developers. If some of us [ the minority of six who voted against it] can do the right thing, the rest of us can."