Clare County Council has granted planning permission to develop as a tourist attraction a cave that reputedly contains the largest free-hanging stalactite in the world.
The authority gave the go-ahead to Mr John Browne and Ms Helen Browne, of Ardeamish, Lisdoonvarna, to develop Pol an Ionain cave near Doolin in spite of opposition from An Taisce, the Pol an Ionain Action Group and the Speleological Union of Ireland. It is the third time that the council has granted planning permission to the Brownes to develop the cave in the past 13 years. Planning was first granted in 1991. However, the Brownes failed to develop the plan after becoming embroiled in a High Court land dispute with a local farmer.
The planning permission lapsed after five years, and the Brownes secured planning once more in 2000.
However, An Bord Pleanála refused the second application in 2001 after the Brownes were unable to complete the required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
In the latest plan, the Brownes scaled back their plan to omit the originally planned interpretative centre, restaurant, shop and car park. In the new model, visitors will be ferried to the site from designated points in Doolin to view the Great Stal, which is 23 foot in length.
In granting permission on this occasion, the council's planner stated that the proposal "is specifically geared towards low-impact tourism with no additional tourist development provided on site".
The council has attached 26 conditions to its decision, including a requirement that the Brownes carry out an annual conservation audit of the cave.
A spokesman for the Pol an Ionain Action Group stated yesterday that the group "is very disappointed, but not surprised by the decision".
An appeal to An Bord Pleanála is being considered.
