An Taisce has pledged to do all in its power to stop the demolition of a listed heritage building once used as a Bianconi coach-house in Co Laois.
The building is a landmark on the main Dublin-Cork road. Travellers will be familiar with the large structure on the left side of the road on the way into Durrow, Co Laois, which a local developer, Mr Joseph Murphy, wants to demolish.
He submitted an application to Laois County Council through a local company, Architectural Services, to demolish the building which is now being examined by the county's planning department.
However, An Taisce's heritage officer, Mr Ian Lumley, said he was outraged at the proposal to demolish a landmark building which he said defined the architectural quality of the Square in Durrow.
"The Square in Durrow is one of the most attractive villages in the midlands, and the square is one of the most attractive of its kind in any Irish village, with a diamond-shaped lay-out on the Dublin-Cork road traverse," he said.
"Because of this, Durrow has a considerable strategic importance, and the building in question, while it may be of the early and possibly late 18th century, was for much of the 19th century one of the best known inns of Charles Bianconi.
"I find it astonishing that many people in Ireland have Bianconi prints on their walls and we see them all over pubs and yet someone wants to knock one of these important buildings down." Mr Lumley said the building had been identified as a major feature in An Taisce's national database of buildings at risk. He said An Taisce would consider its proper refurbishment, for appropriate new use, to be a major architectural conservation priority.
Such work, he said, should be carried out immediately to enhance the overall character of Durrow village and preserve its attractiveness.
Mr Lumley said the building was a three-storey, five-bay structure with masonry construction and lime-rendered walls. It had a natural slate roof which was still holding up well, despite the building not having been used for the past 20 years.
It was likely the old building once had prominent chimneys and a porch feature at ground level. There were service buildings such as stables on the rest of the site.
Mr Lumley said there was no explanation or justification for the demolition of the building and there was no statement or proposal as to what the applicant intended to do with the site if demolition was allowed.
There were many local people who objected to the demolition, but because of the urgency An Taisce was acting for the local objectors.
"We consider this to be a national heritage issue and we are also asking Duchas, the heritage service, to intervene immediately in the issue," he said.
He had also advised Laois County Council to ensure that adequate information had been obtained including an architectural assessment of the status of the building in relation to the national inventory of architecture.
It was not possible to contact Mr Murphy, but Mr Liam Ryan of Architectural Services said he had submitted the application for demolition on behalf of Mr Murphy.
He had not been told for what purpose the cleared site would be used. He expected that Laois County Council would make a decision within the next few weeks.