A CO DUBLIN construction group has confirmed that it will draw up amended plans for a new €64m housing development for Rathnew in Co Wicklow to save a ‘fairy tree’.

An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) included a condition that the ‘fairy tree’ be retained in the 223 housing unit scheme.

The Ardale Property Group has confirmed that it will amend its plans “incorporating the retention of the fairy tree”.

The ‘fairy tree’ or blackthorn tree is on a 41.5 acre site where Ardale Property Group vehicle, Keldrum Ltd, was proposing to build 352 units at Tinakilly, Rathnew.

However, as part of the second condition attached to the permission, ACP has ordered plans which omit residential units, with the result that 223 units have secured planning permission.

ACP ordered the omission of the homes in the interest of overall residential amenity “to ensure the retention of the ‘fairy tree’, and to ensure available space allocation for active playground/sports facilities in any future applications.

The ACP move to ensure that the ‘fairy tree’ is retained follows publication of the Wicklow Town – Rathnew Local Area Plan (LAP) 2025 where the fairy tree receives protection under the Specific Land Objective for the development of lands at Tinakilly.

The LAP states that the ‘fairy tree’ is to be retained at its current location, illustrated by a red tree on an accompanying map.

‘Fairy trees’ have a prominent place in Irish folklore and folklorist, Eddie Lenihan said that he is “delighted” that ACP has included a condition that the ‘fairy tree’ be retained.

More than 20 years ago, Mr Lenihan successfully led a campaign to ensure the preservation of a fairy tree or ‘sceach’ on lands beside the Newmarket on Fergus by-pass in Co Clare.

On the Co Wicklow ‘fairy tree’, Mr Lenihan said: “It shows that we are getting a bit civilised at last and it shows that money doesn’t buy everything.”

Mr Lenihan said that fairy trees would be regarded as property of the fairies and you did not interfere with them.

However, when the Council was drawing up the Wicklow Town – Rathnew Local Area Plan, the Ardale Property Group called on the Council to remove the protection afforded to the tree in the draft plan.

Planning consultants, Brock McClure on behalf of Ardale Property Group told the Council “that there is no evidence, historic or archaeological, to corroborate or confirm anything other than very recent references to the Hawthorn on the site being a ‘fairy tree’”.

Brock McClure stated that “the proposed tree should not warrant protection on the basis of its species, condition and lack of cultural heritage connection”.

Brock McClure referred to a previous report by IAC Archaeology on the tree concerning a 2023 planning application for the lands in question.

In the report, IAC Archaeology stated that whilst the tree may have local cultural heritage significance to the current population of Rathnew, “I can find no record of historic references to this tree during the course of research”.

The report states that the tree itself “is not marked as a Fairy Tree within any of the historic mapping of the proposed development area.”

The report stated that “in summary, it appears that the notion of the ‘Fairy Tree’ at Tinakilly, seems to be relatively recent in terms of origin, with no record of antiquity associated with the site”.

Brock McClure also cited a separate report on the tree by The Tree File Arborists, which concluded that the ‘The ‘Fairy Tree’ is an individual Hawthorn “and there is no historic or archaeological evidence to suggest that this area of planting on the proposed development site existed prior to the 20th century”.

In response to the planning permission including the condition concerning the fairy tree retention, a spokesman for the Ardale Property Group confirmed that it will now amend and resubmit plans for the additional lands, incorporating the retention of the fairy tree.

He said: “We welcome the decision to approve planning permission for 223 homes as part of our proposed development at Tinakilly. We will now amend and resubmit plans for the additional lands, incorporating the retention of the fairy tree. We look forward to the delivery of this much needed scheme at a time where there is unprecedented demand for housing, providing best in class homes with fantastic amenities for the community.”