Plans lodged to turn historic Tipperary schoolhouse into holiday let
Plans have been lodged with the local authority to turn a historic Tipperary building into a short-term holiday let.
Conor and Kate Breen applied to Tipperary County Council for planning permission to change the use of the Old Schoolhouse in Dundrum from a residential home to a holiday let.
Planning documents submitted by the applicants say that turning the property — which is a protected building — into a short-term rental is the “only viable path to ensure its long-term preservation”.
According to planning files, the Old Schoolhouse was built in 1824, and because of its age, requires regular specialised maintenance, which, they say, would not be possible if the house was privately rented.
“Long-term tenancy agreements naturally restrict frequent owner access. Given the delicate state and age of an 1824 building, deferred or delayed maintenance inevitably leads to severe structural decay,” they said.
“Caps under long-term rental controls fail to accommodate the extraordinary, recurring costs required to maintain a centuries-old heritage building.
“Standard residential rent returns simply do not cover specialist heritage conservation work,” they added.
The applicants added that if the building is left vacant for an extended period of time and they cannot get in there, the fabric of the property will suffer, in what would be “a profound loss to the architectural fabric of the area”.
Using the building as a short-term let strikes a good balance, the owners said.
“Vacancies between short-term guest stays allow for continuous monitoring, immediate repair work, and routine specialised preservation without disturbing long-term tenants,” they said.
“The higher yields generated by short-term letting directly fund the ongoing, high-cost maintenance required to keep this historic building in pristine condition for years to come,” the building owners added.
The building’s condition has previously been raised in planning documents.
A previous planning application lodged by Conor and Kate Breen shows that the former school house was also previously used as a court house.
An architectural heritage report, submitted as part of the past planning application stated that the property was subject to “severe water ingress”.
“If water ingress continues it will cause such deterioration to the roof and structural instability will occur. The further the damage the more severe the remediation,” the report said.
Tipperary County Council is due to decide on the change of use application by October 2.