Sligo Borough Council last night voted to delist the historic Markievicz House, thus permitting the building to be demolished.
A request by the North Western Health Board (NWHB) to delist the one-time home of W B Yeats's maternal grandfather, William Pollexfen, has caused considerable controversy.
The NWHB wishes to develop a modern building on the site.
The 19th century house, situated in a prominent position overlooking Sligo harbour, became the subject of debate in recent weeks when a recommendation by Sligo County Manager, Mr Hubert Kearns, to delist the building was rejected by the council on the casting vote of the Sinn Féin Mayor, Alderman Sean McManus.
At last night's meeting of the council, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors, who voted to have the building delisted, submitted a rescinding motion, in the absence of Alderman McManus, who is out of the country on holiday. The motion was carried by six votes to five.
According to Labour councillor Mr Declan Bree "there is absolutely no justification for tearing down the house. Markievicz House is a significant part of Sligo's heritage. Its association with William B Yeats and his brother, Jack, make it even more important."
In his address to the meeting, Cllr Bree accused the motion's proposers "of bringing this local authority into disrepute and possibly damaging the reputation of local government."
He also observed that the "North Western Health Board had failed in its duty to maintain the building to a proper standard and has allowed it to fall into disrepair.
"In my view this cannot in any way justify its proposed demolition".
He argued that "only two weeks ago this council decided to retain Markievicz House in its list of Protected Structures. Admittedly it was a close vote with six councillors in favour and six against and it was the Mayor's casting vote that decided the issue".
Markievicz House is listed as a proposed Protected Structure in the Sligo and Environs Draft Development Plan.
The County Manager, in putting the case for the house's delisting, stated: "In light of the significant changes to the setting and context of this building; the poor additions to it, its poor state of repair, and the very significant number of other structures proposed on the recommended list of protected structures, Markievicz house should be removed from the list."
Mr Michael Keohane, President of the Yeats Society, said that "preservation of our national heritage is increasingly looking like a cracked plate.
"Is it not enough that we have already lost a Yeats house - owned by the Middletons, relatives of the poet - to a new road development here in Sligo.
"The proposed demolition is a severe embarrassment to the people of Sligo, particularly during a week when so many eminent international Yeats scholars are staying in the area."
The poet's only son, Michael B Yeats, a long-time patron of the Yeats International Summer School, is in attendance. Áine Ryan
Markievicz House built for £3000
Markievicz House, originally called Charlemont House, was built in 1885 at a cost of £3,000 by Sligo merchant and brewer Charles Anderson. After his death in 1886 William and Elizabeth Pollexfen, the maternal grandparents of William and Jack Butler Yeats leased the residence which has commanding views of Sligo Bay.
The house afforded William Pollexfen, a merchant and owner of the Sligo Steam Navigation Company, a perfect vantage for viewing his fleet. According to author John Cowell, he would observe his ships from there and "work himself into a white rage when the filthy smoke of a steamer betrayed the use of cheap coal".
Both WB and Jack B spent summer holidays at the house. Several of the poet's extant letters carry this address while Jack B painted his many scenes of Sligo harbour from there.
In 1912 the property, renamed Ardmore House, was bought on behalf of the Incorporated Society and converted into a Girls High School. It was later used as a TB sanatorium having been bought by Sligo County Council for £6,000 in 1948. The newly formed North Western Health Board, renamed it Markievicz House, when it took it over in 1970.