One of Co Clare's best-known landmarks and believed to be the only surviving structure of its type in the country, the Dromoland Gazebo, is under threat from blasting that is to take place at a quarry in the area.
According to Lord Inchiquin the quarry, planned to service the £48 million Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass, currently under construction, "will have a potentially catastrophic effect on the gazebo due to the proposal being excessive in scale".
Lord Inchiquin adds that "being such a landmark in Co Clare, it would be a disaster for Ireland if this delicate building were to be lost for ever by the effects of excessive blasting so close".
Built in the 1740s by Edward O'Brien, an ancestor of Lord Inchiquin's, the gazebo was the centrepiece of a baroque garden believed to have been designed by John Aheron.
An author and architect, Mr James Howley, who was commissioned to draw up a programme of repairs, says the gazebo is a rare and valuable part of our 18th-century heritage; its importance, both as a popular landmark and a key part of a unique Irish garden, makes its preservation all the more imperative.
The gazebo, which was commemorated on a postage stamp in 1978, is in the middle of being repaired.
A trust to oversee the works and raise funds has been established by Lord Inchiquin. To date £75,000 has been raised, leaving a shortfall of £30,000 to restore the building.
Work on the two-storey octagonal structure, commonly known as "The Turret", began last October. Lord Inchiquin says: "If the works had not started last October and resulted in securing the building, I am quite sure it would have fallen down this winter."
He says the necessary repairs have been carried out, and now there are plans to install a new roof, ramparts, windows and doors. He says: "We plan to return it in some way to its former glory. It can be seen for miles and we plan to floodlight it when all the work is completed."
However, as the repairs programme nears completion, plans to develop a quarry a short distance from the gazebo are a cause of concern to Lord Inchiquin and residents in the Newmarket-on-Fergus area, who have expressed fears about its impact.
Last December Clare County Council granted planning to Whelan Limestone Quarries (Contracts) Ltd to develop the quarry. The decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanala, and a number of interests including the Ballynacragga Residents' Group, Newmarket Boys' National School and Dromoland Castle are opposed to the scheme.
The residents' group contends that, if allowed to proceed, the industry would cause extreme disturbance and aggravation to the local population, and it could have a serious impact on their health.
The board requested the applicants to conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIS), after concluding that the proposal would be likely to have significant effects on the environment.
Allaying fears of Lord Inchiquin and the local community, the EIS states that noise level, vibration and dust emission controls will be in compliance with existing legislation, while the council says the proposal would not give rise to an excessive impact on the local environment, adding that it will be in operation only for contract one of the bypass.
However, Lord Inchiquin says: "You only have to look around at other quarry operations, where they cannot operate without dust or noise emissions having an effect on the local environment. The danger is that, once the precedent has been established, the quarry will become a permanent one."
A decision on the appeal is to be made next month.