'Visitors come to a town to see the old, to see the quaint'

A PLANNING application seeking permission for the demolition of one of the traditional houses on Summerhill's Main Street and for the construction of nine one-bedroom apartments in its place has been lodged with Meath County Council.

Blue Knightbridge Property Management Ltd is seeking permission for the demolition of the existing residence and the construction of nine one-bedroom apartments to include carparking and communal open space in the yard.

However, local residents Gerard and Bern Gannon have expressed concerns about plans to knock the 300-year-old house and say it would ruin the character of the village if plans to demolish the house were approved. They say they are not opposed to apartments there but feel the facade should be kept and said the house could instead be extended out the rear to accommodate the apartments.

Gerard pointed out that Summerhill is a heritage village and said that the old houses add to the quaintness and should be retained.

Bern told how the village was designed by Lord Langford when he built Summerhill House. "That's the layout of the village still to this day 300 years later so of course it would destroy part of the structure of the village if this went ahead. Summerhill House was burnt down in 1920. The only thing that remains in the village are the pillars of the gates and the demesne wall. After that, all you have are the houses that Lord Langford built within the village for his employees."

Bern and Gerard don't know if the house in question was one of those built for Langford's employees but say it is around 300 years old and Gerard told how at one point it was a bakery that supplied the village and surrounding area and said part of the bakery can still be seen.

He also told how an altar stone found in the house by Tom and Delia Fields in the 1950's featured in Fintan O'Toole's book 'A History of Ireland in 100 objects" and is now on display in the Collins Barracks Museum. The stone was donated by the Fields family in the 1960s and many years later in 1984, they were presented with a replica stone.

Their son Michael, who lives in the UK, recalled his memories of the altar stone in an article in the Meath Chronicle in 2012. He told how his mother, who slept in the room beside, told him on several occasions that she had seen three monks in habits floating across her bedroom and disappearing into the wall behind.

When he took his own family home for his mother's funeral in 1999, his then 13-year-son slept in the room and also saw the monks. Michael told how he had never mentioned what his mother had seen and it was weeks later before his son told him what had happened and afterwards on visits home his son had refused to enter the house.

Bern and Gerard have lodged an objection to the planning application and said other people have spoken to are also unhappy with the proposal.

"You have to put a stop on demolishing old places. You go to England and there are beautiful quaint villages and towns. They didn't knock anything. They built around that and incorporated the old with the new," said Bern. "That's what visitors and people who live in a place like to see. Visitors come to a town or a village to see the old, to see the quaint," she said.

"We have no problem with apartments, there is room out the back to extend but we the facade should be kept," she added.