Land parcel 5518129

Area

30,880 m² (3.09 ha, 7.63 acres)

Buildings

No building touches it.

Zoning

No zone of a development plan covers it in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply.

Townland

—

Planning applications on this parcel

• 20 Jul 2022Unconditional

  (1) DEMOLITION OF EXISTING REAR EXTENSIONS, EXTERNAL ESCAPE STAIRCASES, SINGLE STOREY MORTUARY BUILDING AND EXISTING GAS COMPOUND, (2) CONSTRUCTION OF NEW DOUBLE CARRIAGEWAY RELIEF ROAD, ASSOCIATED FOOTPATHS AND MARGINS TO THE SOUTH OF THE SITE CONNECTING BALLYSHANNON MARKET CAR PARK WITH COLLEGE STREET INCLUDING THE RELOCATION OF THE EXISTING ROUNDABOUT AT KNADER ROAD, FORMATION OF EMBANKMENT AND REINSTATEMENT OF ROAD SIDE BOUNDARIES (3) CONSTRUCTION OF A 4 STOREY COMMUNITY NURSING UNIT EXTENSION (4,700M2) TO THE SOUTH OF THE EXISTING BUILDING COMPRISING AT LEVEL -2; A 20 BED SHORT STAY WARD AND 8 BED DEMENTIA UNIT (1,740M2), AT LEVEL -1; 2 NO. 13 BED LONG STAY WARDS (1,480M2), AT LEVEL 0; 2 NO. 13 BED LONG STAY WARDS (1,215M2), AT LEVEL 1; AN ENCLOSED PLANT ROOM (35M2) AND LOUVRE SCREENING TO EXTERNAL PLANT. THIS PROPOSED EXTENSION INCLUDES ASSOCIATED RECREATIONAL , LIVING SPACE AND ANCILLARY SERVICE SPACES ON ALL HABITABLE LEVELS, (4) INCREASING THE PARAPET HEIGHT AND THE APPLICATION OF RENDER TO THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE OF THE 1960'S EXTENSION, (5) INTERNAL RENOVATIONS AND RECONFIGURATIONS TO THE EXISTING BUILDING TO PROVIDE A DAY HOSPITAL , KITCHENS, CHAPEL AND ANCILLARY NURSING ACCOMMODATION, INCLUDING PART REPLACEMENT OF CENTRAL STAIRS, (6) EXTERNAL REPAIRS TO EXISTING SHIEL HOSPITAL INCLUDING BRICK REPAIRS, WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENT, ROOF REPAIRS,REFURBISHMENT OF RAIN WATER GOODS AND THE PARTIAL OVER-CLADDING IN ZINC OF THE LIFT PROTRUSION TO THE NORTH FACADE,(7) RECONFIGURATION OF EXISTING EXTERNAL ESCAPE STAIR AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ENCLOSED FIRE ESCAPE & LIFT SHAFT TO THE REAR OF THE 1960'S WING,(8) CONSTRUCTION OF AN ENCLOSED PLANT ROOM ON THE ROOF OF THE 1960'S EXTENSION (35M2), (9) EXTERNAL WORKS COMPRISING THE CONSTRUCTION OF CIRCA 102 NEW CAR PARKING SPACES, THE CONSTRUCTION OF SINGLE STOREY SERVICE BUILDINGS (110M2), THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXTERNAL LANDSCAPED GARDENS TO THE EAST AND WEST OF THE SITE INCLUDING THE RELOCATION OF EXISTING STATUE,TOGETHER WITH ASSOCIATED SITE DEVELOPMENT WORKS, WORKS TO SITE BOUNDARIES, SERVICES AND SIGNAGE

  Extension of duration · Donegal County Council, 2251235

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.

Recorded monuments around it

This parcel is in the zone of notification of 8 recorded monuments.

• DG107-053 Historic town
  Description

  The town is situated on a ford at the mouth of the river Erne on the main routeway between Sligo and Donegal. The name is derived from Beal Atha Seanaidh "the mouth of the ford of the hill-slope" (Bradley & Dunne 1989, 18). The importance of Ballyshannon is fundamentally integrated into its strategic location as a fording point at the mouth of the Erne. Control of this fording point effectively bestowed control of the route from Connacht to Tirconnell. Added to this is the fact that Ballyshannon also overlooks the estuary of the Erne which forms a natural harbour here. This harbour has been of importance since prehistoric times as is shown by the remarkable bronze sword hilt, of 1st century B.C. (Ryan et. Al. 1983, 104) which was brought up from the sea-bed by a fisherman's net in 1916 and was probably imported directly from Gaul. The continuing importance of the harbour is attested again in the late middle ages. In 1420, for instance, an English trading ship arrived in the harbour (Nicholls 1987, 419). Again in 1614-15, after the foundation of the town, the Arthur of Ballyshannon, which carried wine from Bordeaux for Sir Henry Foliot (Hunter 1981, 69). The strategic significance of the future town site was not lost to either the Anglo-Normans or to the English when they attempted to penetrate Ulster in the late sixteenth century and ultimately it is this combination of geographical factors which accounts for the location of the town. In the mid-thirteenth century the Anglo-Normans under Maurice FitzGerald, lord of Sligo, made repeated attempts to penetrate Tirconnell but they never succeeded in establishing a foothold (Orpen 1911-20, iii, 268). In 1247 the annals record an actual battle fought at the ford of Ballyshannon itself (A. Conn.). The construction of a castle (DG107-053002-) here in 1423 by O'Donnell marked their appreciation of the significance of the ford and signalled their intention to control access between Connacth and Tirconnell. The strategic significance of Ballyshannon was apparent to the Dublin government as early as 1562 when the lord deputy, Perrott, wanted to post a garrison at Ballyshannon. It was one of the key strategic points during the Nine Years War (1594-1603) and in 1597 it was the scene of the defeat of Sir Conyers Clifford. In 1601 the lord deputy, Mountjoy, evolved a plan of cutting off Tirconnell from the rest of the north by establishing forts at Derry and Ballyshannon (DG107-053001-). Later in the year Sir Henry Dowcra put this plan into effect by landing at Derry and by capturing Donegal Abbey. He then moved south against Ballyshannon Castle but, without artillery, he could not capture it until March 1602 when guns were landed by sea. After the conclusion of the Nine Years War and pace was made with Rory O'Donnell, Ballyshannon Castle (DG107-053002-) and fort (DG107-053001-) was retained by the government together with 1000 acres on which it was intended to develop a town. The task of developing the town was entrusted to Sir Henry Foliott and the borough was incorporated in 1613. It continued to return two members to parliament until the passing of the Act of Union in 1800. The settler commuinty was relatively small and it is described as consisting essentially of "Irish houses" lived in by "soldiers for the most part and some few Irish" (Hunter 1981, 61). The adult population in the census of c. 1659 is given as 63 English and Scots and 71 Irish (Bradley and Dunne 1989, 19-20). The town is described in the Urban Survey of Donegal as 'The street plan is essentially linear consisting of Main St, with Castle St and Market St aligned diagonally towards it. The Mall, the Back Mall and College St would seem to be additions to this layout. On the southern side of the river East Port and West Port may be built on an early suburb. The original market place would seem to have consisted of the expanded area at the junction of Market St, Main St and Castle St. The Market Place, beside the Erne, is a later addition (Bradley & Dunne 1989, 20-1). MAIN STREET, BALLYSHANNON An archaeological assessment, in advance of a proposed supermarket development, was carried out by Christiaan Corlett for John Channing under licence No. 97E001 on the site at Main Street, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. Seven trenches were excavated mechanically in January 1997 throughout the area to be disturbed by the proposed development. All were excavated to limestone bedrock. The four trenches in the western half of the site revealed a stratigraphy which consisted of a black humic garden topsoil above a consistent sterile layer of brown humic clay, which in turn overlay a thin layer of subsoil of gritty boulder clay. Two small trenches immediately behind the building fronting the main street indicated that the cellar of that building had been built directly on bedrock. The final cutting on the street frontage, in a garden plot within the angle formed by the L-shaped building, revealed a layer of possible boulder clay above the bedrock. Immediately above this clay were a number of layers of soil and rubble which appear to have been dumped to bring the ground level up to the level of the street. No archaeological features or finds were identified. Bishop Street, Ballyshannon Seven test-trenches were opened by Mary Henry, Mary Henry Archaeological Services Ltd under licence No. 01E0773 on a greenfield site (NGR 18743/36165) on the outskirts of Ballyshannon town. The pre-construction testing works were carried out pursuant to planning permission to construct a dwelling-house. The remains of a modern domestic dump were found in five of the trenches; the others revealed nothing of archaeological interest. (Excavations Bulletin 2001). Excavation licence number 04E0686 Pre-development testing was undertaken by Martin Fitzpatrick, ofArch. Consultancy Ltd under licence No. 04E0686 at the site of a proposed development on the south side of the Mall in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. The proposed residential and commercial development is located immediately west of the large, poorly preserved historical house known as the Condon Building. Five trenches were mechanically excavated. The stratigraphy revealed consisted of an orange/brown clayey fill which covered the site. The original ground level was reached at a depth of 0.9-1.1m in the east of the site, but elsewhere the fill was encountered up to a depth of 2-2.1m. No finds of archaeological significance were uncovered in the course of testing at the site. (Excavations Bulletin 2004) Pre-development testing was carried out by Richard Crumlish under licence No. 05E0745 on 5 July 2005 at a site (NGR 18743/36165) in advance of its development at Upper Main Street, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. The proposed development was located within the constraint area for Ballyshannon. It consisted of the erection of an extension to a premises. The site was located to the rear of Reid and Sweeney's solicitors' office (which appears to date to the early 19th century) and was accessible via an alleyway off Church Lane. The site consisted of a small backyard covered in stone flags. The alleyway from which the site was accessible was tested by the writer as part of an adjacent development in April 2003 (Excavations 2003, No. 387, 03E0529). One trench excavated (by machine) through the centre of the yard measured 8.1m long, 0.95-1m wide and 0.3-0.5m deep. Below the roughly cut stone flags was topsoil. Below the topsoil was grey/cream friable sandy silt loam. The topsoil contained roots, red-brick fragments, a small number of oyster shells and modern pottery sherds. The sandy silt loam contained a moderate amount of stones and pebbles. The testing revealed evidence of modern activity on the site only; i.e. stone flags (probably contemporary with or later than the adjacent 19th-century building), laid over topsoil which contained modern artefacts, over natural subsoil. (Excavations Bulletin 2005). The Rock, Ballyshannon NGR G87906120 T

• DG107-053001 Bastioned fort
  Description

  This fort, named ‘Mullanashee Fort’, is represented on the OS 1st ed. 6-inch map (surveyed 1834) as a roughly square-shaped enclosure with expansions at the east, south and west corners suggestive of bastions. Hugh Allingham, in his 'Ballyshannon: its history and antiquities’ recorded that the last vestige of the mound on Mullaghnashee having been, it is said, obliterated in 1798, when a star fort was constructed on the hill top, hence the spot is now called Fort-hill.’ (1879, 18) Allingham undoubtedly derived this information from a note by O’Donovan in his edition of the Annals of the Four Masters where he states: ‘According to the tradition at Ballyshannon, an ancient earthen fort, and the mound of Aedh Ruadh, or Red Hugh, were destroyed in 1798, to form a modern English star-fort which now crowns the summit of Mullaghnashee.’ (AFM, vi, 2029, note x) The fort clearly dates from an earlier period and, indeed, it may have been built in 1597 as part of the campaign by Sir Conyers Clifford, de facto Crown governor of Connaught, who went north at the end of July of that year to subdue O’Donnell. At the end of that month Tibbot ne Long Burke arrived under sail from Galway, to revictual Clifford’s forces with provisions ‘ordered by sea’, and to re-equip them with ‘two small field pieces’. Clifford, who had camped at Assaroe, now moved his troops into position around the artillery at Mullach-Sithe-Aedha (Mullaghnashee) where, over the next three days, his forces carried out a bombardment of the garrison at Ballyshannon castle (DG107-053001-; AFM, vi, 2029-30). His attacks on the castle were repulsed and owing to the lack of food and powder Clifford was forced to raise the siege and return south via a crossing near Asseroe, suffering considerable losses en route. Little surface remains of the fort are visible apart from the eastern and southern banks in the field immediately west of the Church though traces of other elements can be seen in aerial photographs. (Lacy et al. 1983, No. 886) Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 17 August 2017

• DG107-053002 Castle - unclassified
  Description

  This O'Donnell castle clearly was built to guard the ford here on the River Erne. The town, and presumably the castle, were taken and burned in 1522 in a raid by O’Neill into Tyrconnell (AFM, v, 1355) and it was here that Red Hugh O’Donnell stopped on his way north after his escape from gaol in 1592 (ibid., vi, 1925). The castle was besieged, in 1597, by Sir Conyers Clifford who had come north into Tyrconnel with a large force to subdue O’Donnell. Clifford stationed his troops and ordnance in Mullanshee Fort which occupied a high hill (DG107-053002-). For three days his troops ‘continued to fire on the castle with heavy balls, emitted with loud report and flashing flames from the loud-sounding, red, shot-vomiting guns of that heavy and immense ordnance which they had planted opposite the fortress, so that their reports and loud thundering in the regions of the air were heard far and distant from them. They sent large parties of their choicest soldiers to the base of the castle with wall-razing engines, and with thick and strong iron armour about their bodies, and bright-shining helmets on their heads, and with a bright testudo of round, broad, hard iron shields around them, to protect them from the shots of their enemies. The resolute attack they made upon the fortress, however, was of no avail to them; and it had been better for them that they had not come upon this journey against it; for from the castle were poured down upon them showers of brilliant fire from well-planted, straight [aimed] guns, and from costly muskets, and some rough-headed rocks and massive solid stones, and beams and blocks of timber, which were [kept] on the battlements of the fortress, in readiness to be hurled down [when occasion required]; so that the coverings of the razing party were of no shelter or protection to them, and great numbers of them were destroyed, and others who were severely wounded became so exhausted that they delayed not to be further slaughtered, and, turning their backs to their enemies, they were routed to the camp. The people of the fortress kept up a constant fire on them, and killed an unascertained number of them.’ (AFM, vi, 2029) Clifford eventually was forced to quit the siege and lost many soldiers in his route southwards. The castle was taken by Henry Docwra during his campaign in the north in 1602 (O’Donovan 1849, 263, 281). After the conclusion of the Nine-Years War (1594-1603) and peace was made with O'Donnell, the Dublin Government retained Ballyshannon castle and fort together with 1,000 acres on which it was intended to develop a town. The task of establishing this was entrusted to Sir Henry Ffolliot and the borough was incorporated in 1613. It would appear that the castle may have been ruined or, more likely, added to for the contemporary plantation records note that Lord Folliott ‘is building a fair and strong castle there of lime and stone’ (Treadwell 1953-5, 513). The castle was located on the eastern side of the river close to the bridge. Lughaidh O'Clery, in his life of Red Hugh O’Donnell, noted that the castle was on the bank of the river (Murphy 1895, 33). Allingham (1879, 30) recorded that ‘Of the castle of Ballyshannon nothing now remains but a portion of one of the walls (about 10 feet high and 5 feet thick), part of which is incorporated with a grain store, and part with a butter shed on the north side of the market yard. The castle buildings doubtless occupied the whole or greater part of the ground now used for market purposes, and probably extended some way further up the river bank, and from its "well battlemented" towers were poured many a volley of bullets and other missiles on the luckless enemies without. The castle park (a name still preserved in some old leases of adjacent premises) extended almost, if not entirely to the summit of the hill northward of the castle; and long after the building was demolished, a quantity of human bones was discovered in a garden close to the castle walls . . .’ Lewis (1837, i, 166) records that ‘A small portion of the ruins of the once celebrated castle of the O'Donnells, Earls of Tyrconnell, is in the town . . .’ and O’Donovan, writing in the mid-19th century in his edition of the Annals of the Four Masters noted that ‘The site of this castle is pointed out in a field on the east side of the town of Ballyshannon, called the Castle Park, but the walls are level with the ground and scarcely traceable.’ (AFM, vi, 2029, note w) The sections of the castle which survived into the later 19th century may have included or incorporated parts of the 17th century building erected by Folliott. It’s location was not recorded by the OS on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map nor on their large scale (1:1056) MS town plan (surveyed 1834) though the name 'Castle Street' is reflective of its siting to the east. The ITM coordinates given here are based on the account given by Allingham above and should only be considered as indicative of its location. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 17 August 2017

• DG107-053004 Church
  Description

  According to local tradition the first church built by Sir Henry Foliot was constructed beside the Erne in Market Yard. It was not until 1691 that the church was moved to its present site at Mullaghnashee (Bradley & Dunne 1989, 22). The present building was erected in 1841 and incorporates an eighteenth century core (Rowan 1979, 127).

• DG107-053005 Graveyard
  Description

  According to local tradition the first church in Ballyshannon was built by Sir Henry Foliot was constructed beside the Erne in Market Yard. It was not until 1691 that the church was moved to its present site at Mullaghnashee (Bradley & Dunne 1989, 22). The present building was erected in 1841 and incorporates an eighteenth century core (Rowan 1979, 127).

• DG107-053006 Graveslab
  Description

  Described in the Urban Survey of Donegal as 'Bernard Con O'Neill. 16th century (Bradley & Dunne 1989, 22-3). This slab is known only from a nineteenth century account which describes it as decorated with a ship, crescent moon, cornucopia and three right hands. It bore the inscription : BERNARD CON ONEIL AB ORIS BELLESENIENSIS QUI OBIIT PRIDIE NON JUN ANNO DOMINI 15.. (Mems. Dead ii, 1892-4, 57).

• DG107-053007 Graveslab
  Description

  Described in the Urban Survey of Donegal as 'Jean Banerman. 1681 (Bradley & Dunne 1989, 23). This slab is also known only from a nineteenth century accounts. It bore the inscription : HERE LYES JEAN BANERMAN, ALIAS FORBES, WHO DYED SEPTEMBER THE SEVENTH 1681 AGED 65. (Allingham 1879; Mems. Dead, i, 1888-91, 336).

• DG107-113 Bridge
  Description

  The Archaeological Survey of Ireland (ASI) is in the process of providing information on all monuments on The Historic Environment Viewer (HEV). Currently the information for this record has not been uploaded. To access available information for research purposes please make an appointment in advance with the Archive Unit (open Fridays 10.00 am – 5.00 pm), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, The Custom House, Dublin 1 D01W6XO or email NMarchive@housing.gov.ie.

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Ground and risks

Radon

At the centre of this parcel, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low. Parts of the land are made ground.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of this parcel.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

Download this parcel as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program. GeoJSON, in WGS 84, suits a map, and KML opens in Google Earth.

Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.