Meeting over historical cottage

THE future of Hastings Cottage was the item for discussion at a meeting held between representatives of Shannon Development, Clare County Council and Dúchas na Sionna, held last week.
Hastings Cottage is a site of some historical interest, as it is shown on the 1840 Ordinance Survey map of the area and may have actually been built long before that.
The map in question shows the cottage and outbuildings at the end of Slí na Mara, the only routeway into Tullyvarraga at that time.
During the War of Independence, Brigadier General Lucas, a high-ranking British officer, was taken captive and imprisoned there. He was guarded by Major General Michael Brennan, who subsequently led the East Clare Brigade of the IRA.
Greg Duff of Dúchas na Sionna said that there was likely to be a need for a change to zoning.
“The council official representing the planning department explained that because Hastings Cottage is in the process of becoming a protected structure, any works to the site would require planning permission or a declaration from the conservation officer permitting the works. As a registered charity, Dúchas na Sionna would be exempt from planning fees.
“The official also outlined that under the local area plan 2009-15, the area under question is zoned open space.
“This would mean that any proposal to restore the cottage and change its use, for example to a community meeting place, would require a change in the zoning of the site to community use.
“The plan is due for review in 2011 and for final review in 2014, so any application to change the zoning would need to be submitted before the final date.”
The meeting explored the possibility of Dúchas na Sionna, with permission from Shannon Area Councillors, leasing the property for a nominal sum from Clare County Council.
Mr Duff said that restoring the cottage might be a better option than preserving it as it is.
“It was suggested at the meeting that conserving the remains as they survive today would not be the best approach to protect the ruins into the future. A far better alternative would be to raise the funds to attempt a full re-construction.
“The possibility that the project could provide an interesting opportunity for Shannon Heritage and FÁS to carry out training courses on traditional building techniques, such as cob wall building, lime mortar mixing and lime rendering, was also discussed.
“With centenaries of the Easter Rising and the War of Independence approaching, it was also felt that because of the links of the cottage to that particular part of our history, there was an added momentum to restoring the cottage.”
A representative of Shannon Development said that the cottage could be included in the proposed looped walking route from Bunratty to Shannon.
He also said that there are plans being made to develop a Shannon Heritage Driving Trail, which could also feature Hasting’s Cottage.
Summing up, Mr Duff said that the cottage could be very important in terms of attracting tourists to Shannon. “The inclusion of Hastings Cottage could result in an increase in the number of tourists coming to the Shannon Town area. Walking and hiking are the most popular activities among tourists coming to Ireland for activity holidays.
“Last year, more than 360,000 overseas visitors walked Ireland’s trails.”