Pub to reopen in Cork village that once boasted three public houses

New life could be breathed into a Muskerry village after conditional planning permission was granted for two separate developments.

Cork County Council has approved planning for four individual detached houses while permission has been granted for the nearby pub, known locally as ‘Joe Regan’s’, to be restored and extended.

Both developments were proposed by Cork company Joehog Ltd in late June of last year.

The four houses will be built on separate sites to the rear of Regan’s pub on land owned by the director of Joehog Ltd, Martin Horgan.

Permission was also granted for a new entrance roadway to be provided to the houses from the road travelling from Kilmurry to Poulanargid, along with a turning area, street lighting, connection to public water supply and all ancillary works.

Following a submission of further information regarding the construction of the four houses and associated works, the development received planning permission subject to 34 conditions.

With the development located close to the village’s souterrain feature, one condition states that the applicant must engage the services of an archaeologist to monitor groundworks.

With regards the restoration of Joe Regan’s pub, permission was granted for the ground floor of the building to serve as a public house and the first floor to be used as an office, meeting room and storage area.

In its application, an agent acting on behalf of Joehog Ltd noted that three pubs once existed in Kilmurry village but all had since closed, so noise levels would not be an issue when the building’s pub, once signed as P. O’Regan & Spirits, reopened.

Permission has also been given for the maintenance of the pub’s existing stone walls on its northern and eastern sides and for the restoration to their original condition and appearance.

The building will be extended to the south/rear and to its eastern side, taking in an existing single storey outbuilding and making it a two-storey extension. The ground floor of the extension will hold a pool room.

In the pub’s yard, a single-storey outbuilding will be restored for storage, while a new entrance to the west will be provided from the same road that will be constructed as an entrance to the four houses to allow access to a 17-space car park.

Following a submission of further information last month, permission was granted for the development subject to 22 conditions.

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