Mary’s Gotta Tear Her Playhouse Down

Sure, it’s one of the finest places to live in this green and peasant land of ours…

Perched on the slopes of the Little Sugar Loaf, looking out over the rolling hills of Wicklow, and that ever-expanding N11.

So, perhaps it’s understandable that one resident should want to share her perfect location, location, location with her loved ones.

Only trouble is, it would appear Mary Coughlan forgot to tell Wicklow County Council, the latter issuing a warning letter after the noted singer built a series of unauthorised structures to the rear of her house overlooking Kilmacanogue.

And so, two months ago, young Mary sought retention permission for an outhouse granny flat, a tack shed and stables.

As part of her retention application, Coughlan stated that the buildings meant her daughter’s family could live and work in the area, where they had ‘strong links with the community and rural economy‘. The singer’s daughter, Claire Bonadio, and son-in-law, Ciarán Farrelly, work in the equine business, with their young son attending a local national school.

So, they were definitely making use of those extra buildings up on Kilfenora Lane. It’s just that, even allowing for the oul’ granny flats in protected greenbelt areas, 45sqm is the limit. Coughlan’s outhouse is 66sqm – a measurement her planning agent claimed was ‘an insignificant difference’, going on to point out that the singer ‘greatly values the ability and capacity to accommodate her extended family within her home and property’.

Which is probably why Wicklow County Council have turned down the retention application – leaving Mary with the option of appealing to An Bord Pleanála. Who were having none of it.

Coughlan doubled the size of her 1970s bungalow when she bought the property in 2009, putting up for sale in 2012 for €575,000 before withdrawing it.