Popular Kilkenny bar gets green light for outdoor expansion despite objections
A well-known south Kilkenny pub has been given the go-ahead for its plans to transform an outdoor area for customers despite objections from local residents.
Last year Kilkenny County Council approved Torca Developments plans to create a new outdoor area at Carroll’s Public House on Logan Street, a protected structure in the centre of Thomastown.
The long-established bar had been closed for several years until it was taken over and renovated by the owners of the popular Toast restaurant in the town. The bar reopened in 2019, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The site of the proposed new outdoor dining space is surrounded by town centre apartments.
Some residents appealed the local authority’s decision to the national planning authority. An Bord Pleanála upheld the decision, but with some conditions.
The developers can now proceed with plans to create a new external dining area where the existing smoking section is located. A new covered link will be built at the rear of the building to connect the existing bar to the “associated ancillary facilities” located in the adjacent building on Logan Street.
As part of the approval, An Bord Pleanála stated the area cannot be used after 10pm from Mondays to Sundays.
