Thurles Information

Could Bats Delay the Demolition of 52 Homes Overlooking the Rock of Cashel, in Co. Tipperary?

Plans to demolish 52 partially completed homes overlooking the Rock of Cashel are expected to move forward shortly, but first, an ecologist must determine whether bats are residing in the abandoned buildings.

Tipperary County Council says a bat survey will be carried out within the coming weeks at Ballypadeen, Cashel with demolition expected to begin soon afterwards. The unfinished properties have stood derelict for almost 20 years and were originally intended as holiday accommodation, connected to a proposed hotel development that was never completed.

The survey is more than a simple environmental formality.
All bat species in Ireland are strictly protected. Under Irish and European nature conservation law, it can be an offence to deliberately kill or disturb bats or to damage or destroy their breeding sites and resting places. Those protections can apply even where demolition has otherwise been approved.

So what happens if bats are found?
The answer depends on how the buildings are being used. An ecologist will look for evidence of roosts, identify the species present and assess their activity. A building occasionally used by one or two bats may present a very different ecological issue from a maternity roost or an important seasonal resting place.
If demolition would disturb protected bats or destroy a roost, the works may require a special derogation from the National Parks and Wildlife Service under Regulation 54. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) states that works which would kill or capture bats, destroy their roosts or disturb them during important stages of their life cycle, cannot proceed without such permission where a derogation is required. However, A derogation does not necessarily mean the demolition would be stopped permanently.

Instead, conditions can be imposed on when and how the work takes place. Similar Irish cases have included restrictions on demolition during sensitive periods, ecological supervision, careful removal of roofs and other potential roosting areas, and the provision of alternative bat roosts or bat boxes.
The timing of the Cashel survey could therefore become important. Different bat species use buildings differently throughout the year, and a survey represents conditions at a particular point in time. In some cases, further surveys or mitigation measures may be required before demolition can proceed.

The controversy surrounding Ballypadeen extends well beyond bats.
The 52 units were originally approved as tourism accommodation linked to a proposed hotel development. Construction started in 2006, but stopped the following year following a planning dispute. After years of legal engagement, a mediated settlement was reached 19 years later, in July 2025.
Tipperary County Council says the site lies on un-zoned and unserviced land outside Cashel’s settlement boundary and that technical assessments identified significant defects in the unfinished buildings. The council has estimated that adapting them for residential use would cost about €24 million.

Critics, including developer Liam Campion and Independent TD Mattie McGrath, have questioned the decision to demolish partly built three-bedroom properties during Ireland’s current housing shortage. The council maintains the old argument that its decision must comply with planning law, policy and the sustainable development of the area.

For now, however, the next chapter in this long-running Cashel saga may depend on something very small indeed. Before the bulldozers arrive, the bats, if they are there, must first be accounted for.