Appeal lodged against Irish rugby star's plans for house in Louth
Louth County Council’s decision to grant planning permission to Rob Kearney for a new house in Carlingford has been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála
The decision by Louth County Council to grant planning permission for a house in Carlingford to former Irish rugby star and Cooley native, Rob Kearney, has been appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Former Irish rugby international Rob Kearney revived plans to build a new house in north Louth in September, eight years after an initial planning application gave the go ahead to build a new house at Back Lane in Carlingford.
Mr Kearney applied to Louth County Council in September 2025 for planning permission for a new dwelling house and all associated site works within the curtilage of two protected structures at Back Lane, Carlingford, Co Louth.
The two protected structures, numbered LHS005-054 and LHS005-055 on Louth County Council’s record of protected structures, are described in the record as attached two-bay two-storey houses, built c. 1750, as a pair with the adjoining house.
For structure LHS005-054, it’s appraisal states that: “This house was built as one of a pair with its neighbour to the south, and abuts the ruins of a sixteenth-century two-storey house which has a carved head on the gable to the north.
“It retains interesting features, such as the sash windows with exposed cases. The interior of the small shop is also worthy of note, once abundant in small Irish towns but becoming increasingly rare.”
For structure LHS005-055, it states that: “This house was built as one of a pair with its neighbour to the north. It retains interesting features, such as the sash windows with exposed cases. The building also has historical significance as it was the birthplace of Lorcan O'Muiceadonig, a priest and scholar.”
Louth County Council granted conditional planning permission for the development on 11 September 2026, subject to 11 planning conditions.
A third appeal was lodged by Ms Elizabeth-Ann McKevitt on 8 October. The case is due to be decided by 19 February 2027.
Mr Kearney had first applied for planning permission to build a house at the site in 2016. He was granted conditional planning permission in July 2017 but this decision was appealed by Ms Elizabeth-Ann McKevitt the following month.
An Bord Pleanála (now known as An Coimisiún Pleanála) made the decision to grant planning permission for the development in February 2018, with revised planning conditions.
The granted development did not proceed however, with the new application made eight years later.