![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/002497de-614.jpg\"\/)
\nAnthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland is opposed to any development of the land surrounding the castle<\/p>\n
Community campaigners in Dundalk, Co Louth, have voiced their opposition to a proposed housing development close to a historical site which is also said in Irish mythology to be the birthplace of C\u00fa Chulainn.<\/p>\n
A planning application has been lodged for a large-scale development of 1,058 homes on a 38 hectare site off Mount Avenue and the Castletown Road in Dundalk.<\/p>\n
The site is close to D\u00fan Dealgan, a national monument in State guardianship. It is also referred to locally as C\u00fa Chulainn’s castle.<\/p>\n
Campaigners have raised concerns about the scale and density of the proposed development and the potential visual impact on the landscape surrounding the monument.<\/p>\n
It was originally a motte and bailey built in the 12th century by the Norman de Verdun family, though the mound is thought to be much older.<\/p>\n
The castle which currently stands on top was built around 1780, by the pirate Patrick Byrne, and is known as “Byrne’s Folly”.<\/p>\n
Mythologically, D\u00fan Dealgan is also said to be the birthplace of C\u00fa Chulainn and the place from which Dundalk got its name.<\/p>\n
The site also features a standing stone said to have links to the hero of the epic story of the T\u00e1in B\u00f3 C\u00faailnge.<\/p>\n
The planning application was lodged by Grandspect Ltd last November and is for a 10 year planning period.<\/p>\n
It includes proposals for 1,058 homes, including 765 houses, 150 duplexes and 143 apartments. It says that the four apartment buildings would range in height from four to six storeys.<\/p>\n
The application also includes the proposed provision of a Heritage Park on the lands surrounding C\u00fa Chulainn’s Castle to the east.<\/p>\n
It says the castle is not within the application site or ownership and is a protected structure, which also incorporates a standing stone.<\/p>\n
‘Insensitive location’<\/p>\n
Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland, described the site as the “second most important in the old kingdom of Ulster”, second to what is known today as Navan Fort in Armgah.<\/p>\n
The author said dating the mound is difficult and it had never been excavated.<\/p>\n
“There is no archaeological evidence of what age it might be”, he said.<\/p>\n
He and others are opposed to any development of the land surrounding C\u00fa Chulainn’s castle.<\/p>\n
“I am personally opposed to it. I think this should be one of those places that should be protected, completely protected from development.”<\/p>\n
Mr Murphy said while myths and legends are not used as evidence, there is an “intangible aspect of this place for people”.<\/p>\n
“It’s more than what archaeology can say about it. It’s the sense that this place has been around for a long, long time, and it’s from this place that Dundalk got its name.<\/p>\n
“But can we put a date of origin on it? We can’t. But what we can say is that it’s part of a whole landscape of stone age sites.”<\/p>\n
\nAnthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland is opposed to any development of the land surrounding the castle<\/p>\n
He said that it is still in a very rural setting, with beautiful views to the Cooley Mountains and Slieve Gullion, and he is concerned that the amenity of the place would be destroyed.<\/p>\n
“The idea that the amenity of the place would be pretty much destroyed.<\/p>\n
“Our argument is there’s an emotional attachment to this place. Once you pour concrete on those fields, you alter it forever. There’s talk about creating a buffer zone around the mound and maybe creating a heritage park.<\/p>\n
“Being such a prestigious site, why hasn’t that been done already? And surely, even though we are in a housing crisis, surely there are less sensitive locations we could build houses, actually closer to Dundalk,” Mr Murphy said.<\/p>\n
He said he was concerned about the visual impact on the natural setting of the site and that “once that’s gone, its gone forever”.<\/p>\n
He said he was not surprised about the “amount of protest” in Dundalk and surrounding areas, and that people “feel that this is a totally insensitive location for a dense housing development”.<\/p>\n
‘Important landmarks’<\/p>\n
Louth County Council said it cannot comment on the specifics of the planning application.<\/p>\n
However, it said that C\u00fa Chulainn’s Castle and the Castletown Motte are “important landmarks in the area” and are an “important element of Dundalk’s heritage”.<\/p>\n
The council said that a buffer zone of 5.2 hectares around the castle has been identified as open space to protect its setting in the current land use zoning map, with an opportunity to develop a heritage park.<\/p>\n
Louth County Council also said the land on which the planning application has been made has been zoned for residential development for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n
“Any potential impacts of the proposed development on the setting of the castle and motte will be fully considered in the assessment of the planning application,” it said.<\/p>\n
The Office of Public Works (OPW) said it is aware of the planning application and has made submissions to Louth County Council.<\/p>\n
It said it cannot comment on any individual planning applications.<\/p>\n
‘Get the right balance’<\/p>\n
Local Independent councillor Ciar\u00e1n Fisher wants to strike a balance between delivering housing and protecting heritage.<\/p>\n
There are currently 2,630 people on the social housing list in Dundalk, while the figure for Louth as a whole is 4,741.<\/p>\n
“My gut is that I want to preserve as much of the location as possible, but I have to balance that. I’m getting representations from people who are very concerned about preserving the structure.<\/p>\n
“Daily, you get representations from people looking for housing as well. I want to see that a balance is struck between providing housing while protecting our unique architectural and mythological heritage. So I suspect something will be found somewhere in the middle,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Fisher said that across Louth, thousands of people are on the social housing list, and tens of thousands are looking to get on the property ladder.<\/p>\n
“This is the crisis of our generation. Increasingly we’re told that the only way to solve it is to build more houses.”<\/p>\n
![\"Louth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/002497e1-614.jpg\"\/)
\nLouth councillor Ciar\u00e1n Fisher said he would be reluctant to say no to any housing development<\/p>\n
Mr Fisher said he would be reluctant to say no to any housing development.<\/p>\n
“It may be the case that this development may have to be altered slightly. That’s for the planners to decide. I think we need more housing so I hope we can find that balance,” he said.<\/p>\n
He said that the site has been zoned for residential development for over 25 years and that it was “purchased by a developer who had the intent to develop it, and is entitled to have that intent given that it has been zoned for so long”.<\/p>\n
“It would be naive to assume there would be no development here given it has been zoned for so long. But I hope that whatever development happens is cognisant of the site that is there, that it preserves it, that it protects the views and might encourage more people to view it.<\/p>\n
“I understand there is potential for a visitor centre and park around it as well. If it’s done well and done tastefully I hope it might bring it to a bigger audience,” Mr Fisher said.<\/p>\n
He said that if he had a “magic wand” to create a site of a similar size and scale somewhere else, he would.<\/p>\n
“The reality is, there isn’t another site like that, that has been zoned and there isn’t another site that is ready to be developed.”<\/p>\n
He encouraged people to make submissions to Louth County Council on the application, which is open until Wednesday. <\/p>\n
“I think this is something we have to get right. Because of the archaeological and mythological connection to Dundalk.<\/p>\n
“It is of significant cultural importance to people. That’s why I think it is important we get the balance right, that people do make submissions and that the planners look at the submissions and see how they line up with planning law.<\/p>\n
“And that whatever emerges from it, whether it be back to the drawing board with plans, or planning granted with certain conditions, that they are right for the area,” he said. <\/p>\n
Local campaigns<\/p>\n
The local campaign in opposition to the development included a concert last weekend to raise awareness around the history of the site.<\/p>\n
The gig in Dundalk pub Mo Chara, was supported by several local musicians and artists, and was headlined by the Mary Wallopers.<\/p>\n
Separately, a petition to “protect C\u00fa Chulainn’s Castle” has received more than 6,000 signatures.<\/p>\n
Dundalk woman Nicola Bishop, who set up the online petition, said the volume of signatures shows “what the site means to people”.<\/p>\n
She submitted it to the local authority this week.<\/p>\n
The petition calls on Louth County Council, the National Monuments Service, and other authorities to protect the castle and surrounding landscape from large scale residential development.<\/p>\n
It urges the relevant authorities to prioritise the protection and preservation of the heritage site and for the public to make submissions on the application.<\/p>\n
Ms Bishop said she was opposed to the current proposal because of the “sheer volume, scale and density of the development” and the “potential visual impact”.<\/p>\n
She said she was not completely against a housing development being built there, but that she thinks it “needs to be scaled back dramatically”.<\/p>\n
“I feel they need to reject it, and go back to the drawing and planning stage, and come up with a development that works for the area in terms of scale and density.<\/p>\n
“The current development proposes six-storey apartments. They’re very concrete based. It’s not in keeping with the landscape. The sheer scale of it, It definitely needs to be rethought and scaled back,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Bishop also called on the local authority to work with the OPW and other Government agencies to develop a new visitor centre at the site.<\/p>\n
“I would like to see a proper interpretive centre, to teach people the legends of C\u00fa Chulainn and the greater T\u00e1in B\u00f3 C\u00faailnge cycle. I really feel there is an opportunity for a proper tourism centre.”<\/p>\n
Anthony Murphy agreed with this call for a heritage centre, saying it was the least that the site deserves.<\/p>\n
Louth County Council said a decision on the planning application will be made on 22 July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Community campaigners in Dundalk, Co Louth, have voiced their opposition to a proposed housing development close to a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522276,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-522275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=522275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=522275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=522275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=522275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}