Publican Charlie Chawke has won a planning battle to retain an unauthorised mural of a goat at his landmark Goat Grill pub in south Dublin.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has granted planning permission for the large mural by Dublin street artist FiNK, which depicts two goats and a large clock face, at the famous pub in Goatstown.
Mr Chawke was forced to file an application for retention permission for the mural located on the side wall of the pub on Taney Road after he was issued with an enforcement notice by the local authority over failure to have planning approval.
Permission for the mural had been sought and approved in 2017 but it was limited to a period of three years and its authorisation lapsed last year.
In the latest application, consultants acting for Mr Chawke urged the local authority to grant permission for what they described as “a very attractive” mural.
“It is simply an attractive mural on an otherwise unsightly and bland wall,” they added.
In its ruling, the council said the mural would not detract from the amenities of the area.
No objections were lodged in the latest application unlike in 2017 when one local resident complained it was “incongruous” and turning the area “into a ghetto”.
Permission for the mural represents some good news for Mr Chawke following the recent rejection by An Bord Pleanála of his plans for a €186 million apartment scheme on lands next to the Goat Grill which would have provided 299 units in blocks up to eight storeys in height.
However, the businessman has signalled he will consider revising the design of the project.