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BBC presenter Adam Frost and Danesmoate head gardener Darragh Stone. BBC Studios

U2 bassist Adam Clayton secures new cottage for live-in gardener on Danesmoate estate

The previous gardener’s accommodation was torn down after being declared “not fit for purpose”.

BASS GUITARIST OF Irish band U2, Adam Clayton, has secured planning permission to build a cottage on his Danesmoate estate in south Dublin to accommodate the estate’s resident head gardener.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council previously granted planning permission to the British-born musician to demolish the existing single-storey staff facilities building.

In its place, he has been given the go-ahead for a new single-storey gardener’s accommodation building of 110 square metres with adjoining sheds.

Clayton purchased the 18th century house in the mid 1980s. It was the site of the recording of U2′s seminal ‘Joshua Tree’ album.

The current Head Gardener, Daragh Stone, has has been in situ since 2020 and heads a team of four gardeners, including two part-timers.

The planning permission also includes a staff facilities building, comprising a gardener’s office, bathroom, kitchen and dining facilities, to replace the existing  staff facilities building, which has been declared “not fit for purpose”.

The Council granted planning permission after concluding that the scheme “would not detract from the amenities of the area and is consistent with the provisions of the current Development Plan”.

The planning authority also concluded that the proposed development would not adversely impact on the residential or visual amenity or character of Danesmoate House and its curtilage or adjacent properties. The house is a protected structure.

The Council stated that the gardens at Danesmoate “are noted to be an exemplar in horticultural terms and requires a team of gardening staff for ongoing maintenance”.

Pat Kennedy of Cantrell & Crowley Architects for Clayton told the council that the proposed gardener’s accommodation will consist of an L-shaped single storey building wrapped around a small private courtyard.

Kennedy stated that the accommodation building “will have a contemporary design, with historic elements added to match with the character of the walled garden”.

A separate report lodged with the application states that the proposed structures “will blend into the landscape of the walled garden and will have no negative impact on the character of this historic garden”.

In an interview with Country Life discussing the gardens, Clayton said, “We went a bit bonkers on the magnolias”. There are 50 varieties of magnolia at Danesmoate.

Over 4,000 trees have been planted since Clayton purchased the estate in 1988 for a reported price of €380,000.

The 17 acres includes a formal garden and a woodland area. Although Clayton started his garden project 30 years ago, he told BBC’s Gardeners World that he sees it as only an “adolescent garden”, adding that he can “just see what its going to be” at maturity.

Asked what gardening means to him, Clayton told the BBC programme, “It just takes my mind out of myself”.

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    Mute Vannin
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 6:51 PM

    It’s great news at last, it’s the small businesses that suffer the most and it’s about time the small companies get the help they need, it’s they afterall that form the communities and hold together society, not some multinational that will bugger off when it suits them or when the “deal” is up.

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    Feb 23rd 2015, 6:31 PM

    Great news more small businesses getting loans grown their companies then taking on 2 job bridge slaves to work for them.

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    Mute Vannin
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 6:54 PM

    Not a fan of jobsbridge but at least there should be a chance of a business for them to go to, which I’m sure in anyones eyes is a good thing.

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    Mute Aasif
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 7:04 PM

    I’d rather sh_te in my hands and clap for eight hours than be a slave for a profitable company big or small.

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    Mute Paul Carey
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 7:58 PM

    So enlighten us as to what benefit you personally bring to society?

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    Mute Charles McDonald
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 8:29 PM

    The benifits class is alive and well in Eire

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    Feb 23rd 2015, 9:08 PM

    My god what an irrelevant person

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 8:29 PM

    Ged Nash will not be elected again I believe, that is what I seem to hear from the Drogheda direction…

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    Mute Darren Norris
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 10:37 PM

    He won’t be

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    Mute John Ward
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 9:17 PM

    Ned Gash is junketing off to Sweden for St Patrick’s Day.
    I sincerely hope that there are some good and caring Irish people in America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc. who are well aware of what’s going on at home and will come out and demonstrate wherever these wasters show up! Tell your family members and friends abroad, who have been forced to  emigrate by the actions of this so called government, to let these miserable ministers  know how they feel at the St Patrick’s Day parades around the world.

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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Feb 24th 2015, 12:50 AM

    Keep Calm & Crowd Fund….

    I’ve seen it all now

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    Mute Jay
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 7:56 PM

    I wish you would shit in your hands. I’ve had two jobsbridge candidates who are still employed. Attitudes like your are the reason hard working folk resent social welfare.

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    Mute Jay
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 8:39 PM

    Assif. Get a job.

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    Mute Jay
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 8:23 PM

    Assif, do you need a hug?

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    Mute Jay
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    Feb 23rd 2015, 8:00 PM

    Assif you tool.

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