A view of St Catherine’s Well, Killybegs, showing its proximity to the new pier. Visible in the middle ground on left is the small car park through which Donegal County Council has granted permission for access to the proposed storage and office development.
There is widespread dismay in Killybegs that a storage and office development has been approved by Donegal County Council for a site between St Catherine’s Well and the new pier.
The local History & Heritage Committee has waged a long campaign to prevent any further development in the area which contains the holy well, the ruin of “Cat’s Castle”, and the 14th century St Catherine’s Church and graveyard.
Volunteers raised hundreds of signatures objecting to the development.
There have also been objections raised by the voluntary committee which maintains the well expressing opposition to any development in the vicinity.
The site is a designated national monument and Donegal County Council states in its Local Area Plan that any development in such an area must “not be detrimental to the character of the structure, its setting or curtilage.”
The principal anxiety expressed by both the Killybegs History and heritage Committee and the St Catherine’s Well Committee is that any development near the well could endanger the flow of water to the spring.
They have also objected on the grounds that the serenity and prayerful atmosphere of the area could be disturbed both by light and noise pollution from the development and by traffic going to and from the storage facility.
This aspect has also been acknowledged by Donegal County Council in it’s Plans, which state: “These historic sites have been places of pilgrimage for many centuries, and also a place to relax and reflect, bringing comfort and pride to the local community.”
A spokesman for Killybegs History and Heritage Committee said: “It is of particular concern that the permission which has now been granted for the construction of the offices and storage facility specifically permits 24-hour access to the premises by way of the car park provided for pilgrims to access the holy well.”
Killybegs History and Heritage Committee is considering appealing the County Council’s grant of permission to An Bord Pleanála on a number of grounds, including the failure of the local authority to act in accordance with its own policies and procedures.
Said Mr Derek Vial, chairman of Killybegs History and Heritage Committee: “In particular, the Council has failed to attach a condition of archaeological mitigation to the planning permission and appears to be in breach of legislation pertaining to national monuments.
“Poor and inappropriate planning such as this should not be allowed to proceed. This plan in its current form fails on some of the basics of good planning especially from an archaeological, heritage and amenity perspective”, Mr Vial said.
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