Red light for two Laois pub IPAS centres

PLANNING permission has been refused for the development of IPAS centres at two pubs in Durrow.

An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) has given a red light to the plans, which were granted conditional planning permission last March by Laois County Council, despite strong opposition from local residents and elected representatives.

It is the end of the road for the controversial proposed IPAS accommodation at Peadar’s Bar and Lennon's bar on Mary Street, both owned by publican Marc Lennon. The ACP, which has the last word on planning approval, has refused both applications.

The refusal follows a major local campaign, led by Durrow Community Council (DCC), which included packed public meetings at the town’s Castle Arms Hotel last March and in July 2025.

After the county council granted permission five months ago, DCC also set up a fundraiser to support an appeal to ACP, which raised more than €9,000 to cover legal and other costs.

Among the reasons for refusal, ACP said the layout as proposed ‘would result in substandard accommodation for future occupants and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area’.

It also said that, in the absence of a ‘more comprehensive and robust audit of social, communal and educational facilities’, the ACP considered that ‘it had not been adequately demonstrated that sufficient social infrastructure exists to cater for the demand arising from the current proposal, in conjunction with other proposed facilities within Durrow’.

Mr Lennon had received planning permission from the county council for the development at Lennon’s, as well as retention planning permission for Peadar’s Bar. The plans would provide International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) facilities for about 60 residents, with each pub having a 30-bed capacity.

The owner contended that the plans would bring more vitality to Durrow, adding to the population and allowing for sustainable growth of the town centre.

However, residents and community representatives contended that the small heritage town, with a population of just 946 according to the last census in 2022, does not have the infrastructure and services to accommodate dozens of new residents, particularly in terms of traffic, public transport, policing and medical facilities.

The retention plans for Peadar’s Bar were appealed by Shane Lawlor, Seán and Anne Conroy and the DCC. All except Seán and Anne Conroy also lodged appeals against the Lennon’s proposal. Independent Republicans Brian Stanley TD and Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, both of whom opposed the plans, are listed as observers in both appeals.

During the public meeting attended by more than 300 people last March, DCC secretary Mary Monahan said: “We don’t want unvetted males in this town. We’re hoping the whole parish will back us on this. We all have kids and grandkids. We don’t have services in the town either. 

"The school has full classrooms as it is. The preschool and créche are full. We don’t even have our own GP in the town. We share a GP with Rathdowney. Our garda station is not manned 95 per cent of the time.” 

Regarding traffic and parking, she observed: “We are on the N77, which goes between Portlaoise and Kilkenny city. It's a very heavily trafficked route. We already have in excess of 100 articulated lorries going through the narrow streets every day.” 

The DCC stressed during the campaign that they and the entire community have been and continue to be supportive of international protection applicants, mainly Ukrainian women and children, who are already living in the area and have integrated very well, making a positive contribution to Durrow Tidy Towns and other local initiatives.