A bitter political row comes to a head in Roscommon today, when an attempt is made to build a three-storey housing development beside the historic castle overlooking the town park.
More than 1,100 local people have signed a tidy towns petition calling on councillors not to give the go-ahead to the multi-million development which, according to one councillor, amounts to "giving away part of the people's park". About €1 million has been spent on Loughnaneane Park in recent years.
The development is proposed by the Molloy family, local business people who have purchased less than half an acre of the park from the council for almost €50,000 subject to planning permission. The section must be rezoned from open space to residential, and requires a change in the county development plan.
Twenty-one of the 26 councillors must support the proposal if the plan is to be changed to allow the 12 houses and 12 apartments to be built.
Orla Leyden (FF) said the project would allow for the building of visually-intrusive apartments, and distort the view of Roscommon Castle.
"If we rezone, we will be giving away part of the people's park. And we are forgetting about our greatest legacy, Roscommon Castle. Many famous Welsh castles were based on a blueprint from Roscommon Castle. One of them, Harlech Castle, is being used this summer to market the whole of Wales as a region.
"There is plenty of space to build houses and apartments in Roscommon without interfering with the most beautiful and peaceful part of the town."
The Department of Environment had described the site as unsuitable, she added.
Ms Leyden, Tony Ward (Ind), Luke Flanagan (Ind), and Michael Mulligan (SF) all voted against the sale of the section of land to the Molloy family at a council meeting in May. Twenty voted in favour, and two - Rachel Doherty and John Kelly (Ind) - abstained.
The Molloy family, who are also planning to transfer an acre of their land to council ownership as part of the deal, are adamant their proposal will be of a high quality and not have the impact claimed by its objectors. They also say access to the town park will be improved, and the greater number of people living in the area will help to prevent anti-social behaviour at night. They have condemned what they call "insulting" comments made about the family in the local media.