Sinn Féin TD for Kerry Pa Daly has condemned the early morning demolition of the house of Michael Joseph ‘The’ O’Rahilly.
Commenting on the decision of the developer to proceed despite a preservation order, Teachta Pa Daly said:
“The demolition is sad and of questionable legality. My colleague Cllr Mícheál Mac Donncha successfully moved a motion to add the building to a list of protected structures, but the developer still went ahead.
“The full weight of the planning laws must now be used to provide some form of justice. O’Rahilly’s roots in Ballylongford make him an important part of Kerry’s history and it is disappointing, if not necessarily surprising, that development of a hotel car park has wiped this important landmark off the map.
“I fully support the campaign of Proinsias Ó Rathaille and others to preserve the house, and after this major blow, I am eager that the next steps be taken in sanctioning this destruction.”
