‘Devastated’: Granny’s modular home in rural Limerick is in jeopardy after complaint

A FAMILY is afraid to go to Malaga for a grandmother’s dream 80th birthday in case the council remove her €100,000 modular home in a back garden in rural County Limerick while they are abroad.

“That’s all she wanted was a family holiday. Her daughter is flying to Spain from Canada. I’m going to start crying now,” her emotional daughter-in-law Monica Kelly told the Leader.

Monica received an enforcement letter from Limerick City and County Council’s planning section on July 28. It gives them one month to “remove the chalet/modular type structure from the site permanently”.

Madeline Kelly has lived in the modular home in the back garden of her son Gary and daughter-in-law’s detached home in Bulgaden for three years.

The letter goes on to say: “Council may enter on the site and take steps in order to carry out the above works (remove the structure) and may recover any reasonable expenses incurred.”

The Kellys received the letter in the same week that the government announced a four-week public consultation on a number of proposed planning exemptions. Under the new proposals, a modular-style home up to 45 square metres could be built at the rear of a house without planning permission.

Minister of State John Cummins said it was a “common sense” measure that will provide housing options for people. The Kellys are also calling on the council for a “common sense” approach.

Monica said Madeline resided in Castleconnell until she fell and broke her knee in three places. She has used a walker ever since and can’t use stairs. Madeline and her late husband Patsy, who passed away in 2023, ran the well known Twin Oaks B&B on the Dublin Road in Limerick city for many years.

Family members took turns to stay with Madeline, who has COPD, in Castleconnell as Monica said “she couldn’t continue to live on her own but she didn’t need to go to a nursing home”.

They came up with the idea of putting a modular home in the back garden of their rural home in Bulgaden in the summer of 2022 so Madeline could have her independence but still be close to family for company, do her groceries and collect her medication. However, a complaint was made to Limerick City and County Council.

“We got a letter in December of 2022 that we had this modular home and there was no planning permission for it. We didn’t know anything about the regulations back then. We immediately got onto a consultant and he recommended that we apply for five year retention planning. We did that in December 2022 and it was rejected in March 2023.

“We appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala and then the next thing is we got the enforcement letter on July 28. That’s the first time we’ve heard anything since then (March 2023),” said Monica. An Board Pleanala had refused the appeal in June 2024.

She said they are “devastated” and “up in a heap” since they opened the letter.

“It’s so upsetting because we don’t know what we’re going to do. Madeline can’t come and live with us as we don’t have a downstairs bedroom or shower,” she said.

A planned family trip to Malaga to celebrate Madeline’s 80th birthday later this month is in doubt.

“That’s all she wanted was a family holiday. Her daughter is coming from Canada for the holiday and meeting us in Spain. We’re flying out later in August so now we don’t know whether we’re going to be able to go or not because if this isn’t sorted we’re worried in case we come back and the house will be gone,” said Monica.

She says the €100,000 modular home is connected to their septic tank and uses water from their well so doesn’t use any services.

Monica accepts that the modular home is 75 square metres which is larger than the 45 square metres which the Government are proposing to be planning exempt.

Monica said Madeline is very “happy and content” in her home and hope the council will allow her to enjoy the latter years of her hard-working life there.

A council spokesperson said: “Limerick City and County Council does not comment on planning enforcement cases or on individual cases.”

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‘Devastated’: Granny’s modular home in rural Limerick is in jeopardy after complaint

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