Irish housebuilder Cairn Homes has approached Clontarf Golf & Bowling Club with a land swap proposal that it believes could deliver “several thousand new homes” on the prime 72-acre site, just north of Dublin’s city centre.
Cairn, which built 2,593 new homes here last year, has partnered with Green Land Capital on a land swap proposal that would involve the Clontarf club relocating to 185 acres in Kinsealy that were previously part of the Abbeville estate owned by late taoiseach Charlie Haughey.
The 18-hole championship course would be designed by Irish golfer and former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley. Green Land, which is led by businessman Ray Cotter and his sister Barbara Cotter, has an option to buy the Kinsealy land from its owner, the Nishida family, who own the Toyoko Inn hotel chain.
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Green Land approached the golf club with a similar proposal in 2021, which was turned down by members. Cairn is now leading the plan, adding some weight to the prospect of a deal being realised.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the housebuilder said: “Cairn Homes has commenced engagement with the officers at Clontarf Golf Club to explore the possibility of engaging in a land swap to potentially construct, subject to zoning and planning, several thousand new homes on the land. This is at a preliminary stage and requires consideration from the club’s members.”
It is understood that Cairn chief executive Michael Stanley wrote a letter recently to the management committee of the golf club, outlining his proposal. Mr Cotter has also written to the club.
Earlier this week, Gerry Donnelly, chairman of the management committee, wrote to golf club members to inform them that he had received a letter from Mr Cotter seeking to “reintroduce” the proposal to relocate the club to Kinsealy.
“That proposal was considered by members at the club’s annual general meeting held on 25th February 2022 and was rejected,” he said.
“The latest correspondence makes no new offer to the club and the proposal referenced by Mr Cotter remains identical to that which was received in 2021. The only difference is the involvement of Cairn Homes plc as promoter.
“The correspondence, which includes a letter of introduction from Cairn Homes, has been acknowledged. Members will be kept informed of any further developments as they occur.”
The Clontarf club has about 1,400 members and they would have to vote by special majority for any deal to proceed.
Some 62 acres of the club’s land is leased from Dublin City Council, which would have to consent to any development and rezone the site for housing. The other 10 acres are owned by the members.
Mr Donnelly and Clontarf Golf Club were contacted for comment. Green Land was also contacted for comment.
In 2007, members of the Clontarf club accepted a €125 million deal from Capel Developments that would have resulted in a payout of €100,000 to each full member, with lower amounts for other membership groups.
The club was to relocate to the Portmarnock Links course where a new clubhouse would have been constructed. However, the deal fell apart in 2008 when Capel pulled out as the property crash loomed.
