€11 million guesthouse and residential plan for Rath Chairn

An €11 million plan for a 30 bedroomed guesthouse and conference centre, along with 28 houses in the heart of Ráth Chairn, has been lodged with Meath County Council.
Ráth Chairn native Colm Griffin, who is behind the development, says at least 50 per cent of the housing will go to Irish speaking families and predicted the proposals would mean a yearly economic boost of €2 million each year to the local economy.
Murray Architects, Navan, have applied on his behalf for a new mixed-use development within the village core of Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht. The submission includes a 30-bedroom guesthouse with ancillary community, commercial, tourist and cultural facilities and a housing development consisting of 28 detached homes of “modern and rural Irish vernacular design.”
The site is in the centre of Ráth Chairn between the primary school and the local church.

 

The 30 bedroom guest house and conference centre, which will flank the roadside will be L-shaped in design and have two and a half storeys consisting of bedrooms, breakfast area and conference facility.
“The planning application provides for the 50 per cent of the homes to go gaelgoirs, as a minimum, and this is significantly above the norm of 20 per cent in other Gaeltacht areas,” said Mr Griffin.
"This doesn't mean they won’t all go to Gaelgoirs. Many local young families are currently left with no option but to live outside the Gaeltacht area due to the lack of existing housing."
He predicted the houses would fill what is currently a huge gap in the area and attract families who wish to live in or return to the Gaeltacht and raise their families through the Irish language.
“The development will enable the village to retain its present population and facilitate future population growth.”
Mr Griffin points out that when summer schools, fleadh cheoils and other events are taking place in Rath Chairn, the guesthouse will provide much needed accommodation.
“It will encourage more visitors to the area and therefore increase tourism to the village.”
He predicted the development will create over 50 short term jobs in construction and more than 20 full and part-time jobs when complete.