Meeting fails to resolve Lissadell dispute

THE OWNER of Lissadell House has told Sligo county manager Hubert Kearns and senior council officials that they had put a €12 million investment in jeopardy, as attempts to resolve a dispute over alleged rights of way through the estate failed.

At one stage during a heated meeting, Edward Walsh, who owns the historic house with his wife Constance Cassidy, told officials: “All I can say is that I hope you are proud of yourselves because I am horrified with the way you have treated me, utterly horrified, and I have difficulty sitting in the same room as you with the approach you have adopted.”

The dispute is destined for the High Court after Mr Walsh and Ms Cassidy, rejected proposals from the council that a mediator be appointed or that senior counsel from both sides meet.

During the meeting in the Four Courts, Dublin, on Monday evening, Mr Walsh invited the council to buy or lease Lissadell.

Mr Kearns said the council never had any interest in buying the estate where 1916 leader Constance Markievicz was born. It had been the council’s view that the Government should have bought it, but that was “water under the bridge now”.

Mr Walsh described developments as “a kick in the teeth in the true spirit of Irish begrudgery from many, many people”. The owners, who bought Lissadell in 2003, said they had spent €4.55 million for the estate and had invested more than €7 million since.

He said the council executive and elected members had damaged his economic interest. He pointed out that a €250,000 Yeats exhibition, which, he said, should have been “the focal point” of the Yeats trail launched yesterday in Sligo, had to be stored, given that the house was closed to the public.