Mayo hotel refused permission to convert function room into residential accommodation

Pat Mulhern Civil Engineering (Ireland) had sought retention permission to install ten guest rooms in an area currently occupied by a function room in the Dolphin Hotel in Crossmolina.

The nine-bedroom hotel began providing emergency accommodation to homeless people after it closed in November 2024.

At one point, 16 people were being accommodated at the hotel, which is owned by Pat and Mary Mulhern, who invested over €1 million in the premises after purchasing it in 2017.

Mayo County Council refused retention permission as the facility had inadequate parking and would lead to an increase in traffic that would endanger public safety.

Mary Gordon, Head of Planning Administration with Mayo County Council, said that converting the function room into residential accommodation “would constitute an overdevelopment of the site, resulting in a sub-standard development which would alter the existing character of the immediate area in an undesirable manner and depreciate the value of the adjoining properties in the vicinity.”

The proposal to convert the function room to residential accommodation attracted widespread local opposition. Over 100 people attended a public meeting in the town to discuss the proposed the development earlier this year.

A total of 78 public submissions were lodged to Mayo County Council before the development was refused planning.

This included submissions from local county councillor Michael Loftus and former Mayo footballer Peadar Gardiner.

The local soccer club, Crossmolina FC, also lodged an objection.

Cllr Loftus said in his submission that the function room ‘has a low ceiling and limited natural light, making it an unsuitable environment’ for residential accommodation.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Cllr Loftus said the local community were ‘thrilled’ with the council’s decision to refuse the retention application.

“We want our hotel back so we can have functions in it, like we used to have. This location that was being proposed by Mr Mulhern was totally unsuitable for putting anybody into, regardless of who they were,” said the Fianna Fáil councillor.

Tom Gilligan, Mayo County Council’s Director of Services for Housing, told the Irish Independent that there would be no change to the existing residents’ living arrangements.

“There is no change to the guests that are currently availing of the facility. We are still utilising rooms in the hotel for the provision of temporary emergency accommodation,” he said.

The refusal of retention permission at the Dolphin Hotel was welcomed by Mayo TD Paul Lawless, who said the decision should set a precedent for how IPAS centres and emergency accommodation should be handled.

“Too often we see inappropriate developments pushed through without regard for local infrastructure, services, or the long-term sustainability of the area. If a development isn’t suitable in terms of scale or services then it shouldn’t go ahead, whether it’s a hotel conversion or an IPAS centre,” said the Aontú TD.

“We must ensure that planning decisions reflect the needs of both the existing community and any new residents. That means rejecting unsuitable developments and insisting on equal standards for all developments as well as community consultation at every stage. This should be the norm, not the exception.”