Businessman Neil McDermott undoubtedly got the bargain of the decade when he snapped up Beech Park, the Regency house on 64 acres in Clonsilla once owned by the Shackleton family, for less than £700,000. That was in the summer of 1995 before the property boom got under way. At that time, the gardens were attracting 5,000 visitors a year and John Bruton's government gave every indication that it would buy it. In the end, they didn't have the bottle, and it was lost to the city, but found by Mr McDermott. The gardens have not been open to the public since then, but the owner had ambitious plans for a garden centre, restaurant and shops to cover about 30,000 square feet. The Fingal planners, however wouldn't hear of it, since the property is zoned for agricultural use only. This week, the planning appeals board backed them up, and so it's back to the drawing board. In the long term, it seems inevitable that at least part of the lands, which are opposite Lutrellstown Golf Club, will be developed for housing.