Council’s ‘no role’ in Clondulane weir directive

An update on the current status of the removal of Clondulane weir was requested by Kanturk-Mallow councillor, Pat Hayes at this week’s Northern Committee meeting.

Cllr Hayes referred to an EU Habitats directive regarding the removal of the weir and requested information regarding the weir’s current status and whether the topic would be taken further.

In January of 2021, TheAvondhu reported that Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) looked set to make a fresh planning application to carry out a ‘decommissioning’ of Clondulane weir.

This comes as part of an ongoing campaign by IFI to change the face of the structure to fulfil, according to a spokeswoman, their obligations to a High Court order.

A number of applications were previously submitted to Cork County Council by IFI regarding the removal of portions of the Clondulane weir, the most recent of which was refused in

July of 2020.

A similar notice was issued in June 2018, however, plans were stalled due to what Inland Fisheries Ireland described as ‘a technical difficulty with the planning application which was beyond the control of Inland Fisheries Ireland’.

In 2011, a dispute broke out between the Government and the Duke of Devonshire regarding ownership of the weir at Clondulane. Following this, Inland Fisheries Ireland acted as agents of the then minister Pat Rabbitte, following a lengthy legal battle to remove the weir.

Inland Fisheries Ireland’s intention at the time was to manage the removal with as little impact on flora, fauna and habitat in the river which is in a Special Area of Conservation, lying within the grounds of Clondulane House.

STATUS UNCLEAR

Following Cllr Haye’s request this week, Director of Service Kevin Morey informed the committee that he did not have any information regarding the Clondulane weir as of yet, but would revert directly back to Cllr Hayes in due course.

Divisional Manager, James Fogarty told the council members that the matter is a private one and therefore may be out of Cork County Council’s hands.

“It’s a private weir in the ownership of the Duke of Devonshire and it’s between the former minister and the third party. I’m not sure that the council has any role to play whatsoever in the directive that the landowner got, but I will talk to Kevin Morey afterwards,” Mr Fogarty said,