The only daughter of the late Mr John McShain, an Irish-American businessman who transferred 8,000 acres of land, islands and historic buildings to Killarney National Park, was refused planning permission for a small, low-density housing scheme on the family's remaining land.
As part of her submission to allow the development of 12 houses on five acres, Sr Pauline McShain had offered to transfer the remaining woodlands belonging to the family to the State.
However, members of Killarney Town Council voted unanimously not to zone the site residential in the new development plan.
The land in question adjoins the National Park between the town and Ross Castle and under the current plan has amenity zoning which bans development. Council management and planners had no objection to the rezoning.
The Mayor of Killarney, Mr Michael Courtney, said there had been an extremely large number of objections from residents in Ross Road. One submission held up to 50 signatures. The council had to take these into account, he said.
The residents claimed the rezoning would remove a buffer zone which protected a designated area of conservation, and would add to traffic congestion and set a precedent that would compromise other environmentally sensitive areas in the vicinity.
There were also concerns about the felling of trees. However, a town planner, Ms Fiona Galvin, said most of the quality woodland was around the boundary of the site. She also said 12 dwellings would not adversely affect traffic flow in the area.
Ms Galvin said this was one of the few sites remaining in private ownership along that section of Ross Road, and its rezoning should not give rise to other such requests.
The late Mr McShain bought much of the former Kenmare estate in Killarney in 1960. Before his death he transferred up to 8,000 acres, including Inisfallen Island, Ross Castle and parkland, to Killarney National Park for a nominal sum.
After the death of his wife, Mary, in 1998, Killarney House, an 18th-century building in French chateau style on the edge of town, was transferred, and its gardens and parklands are now one of the prime amenities of the town.