Madam, – I welcome and commend the recent decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission for 108 houses at Donaghcumper, Celbridge, opposite Castletown House (Home News, July 7th). The decision is important for the conservation of the wider setting of Castletown and sets a precedent for the protection of the environs and setting of other historic houses. Castletown was rescued for the nation in 1967. It is now owned and wonderfully managed by the Office of Public Works. The house is internationally renowned, a splendid example of Irish Palladianism.
Across the Liffey, the demesnes of St Wolstan’s and Donaghcumper are an essential element of the Castletown vistas – its borrowed landscape. The recognition of this by An Bord Pleanála I regard as a reflection of a new emphasis on the value of conserving our heritage into the future. – Yours, etc.