Lough Eske Castle granted permission for bar extension and pavilion construction

Lough Eske Castle Hotel has been granted conditional planning permission from Donegal County Council for an extension of one of the hotel’s bar areas, nearly doubling it in size.

Planning had been submitted by the popular hotel and wedding reception venue for the construction of a single-storey, 95 square-metre, bar extension within the existing courtyard of Lough Eske Castle, including a “modest” contemporary pavilion containing an internal seating and bar area, a glazed lantern roof element, the reuse of existing external door openings to provide internal connections and the retention of existing levels and accessible routes. 

The hotel, which features 124 guest rooms/suites and can host hundreds of guests for receptions, said the proposed bar extension would be “positioned within an established courtyard zone that serves the existing bar and associated hospitality functions during the summer season only.”

According to RMI Architects, who prepared a design statement, the bar extension has been “designed as a modest and visually subordinate structure, taking cues from the castle’s established material palette and proportional logic while remaining contemporary and distinctly separate in character.”

It was communicated that the new extension would be “versatile” in its use. Documents stated: “It provides a welcoming setting for morning or afternoon tea, informal conversations or quiet time, and can be rearranged for small gatherings or events as required. The atmosphere intends to remain light, elegant and comfortable, balancing a garden room aesthetic with the operational needs of the hotel.”

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“While the courtyard offers generous views towards the castle’s northern elevation and surrounding landscaped areas, the absence of enclosed accommodation restricts its operational value outside the summer season. The proposed development addresses this condition by introducing a weather-protected internal space that reinforces the usability of the courtyard while respecting its architectural context.”

Donegal County Council granted the planning permission application with five conditions, including a condition set out to protect the archaeological heritage of the area.

A further condition was imposed that the applicant should pay a contribution of €541.50 in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting in the area of the Planning Authority that is already provided or is intended to be provided by the Authority. 

The earliest recorded occupancy of the lands at Lough Eske Castle was in the fifteenth century, when it served as the residence of the O’Donnell clan. Following the 1607 Flight of the Earls, the lands were then taken under control by Sir Basil Brooke as part of the Plantation programme, from where the development of what became known as Brookeborough House was built.

In the 1860s, an architect was commissioned to transform the house into the castle-style building we see today, before a fire in 1939 turned the building into a ruinous state.

The castle was purchased by Harcourt Developments, and a substantial programme of restoration and reconstruction followed, before it was reopened to guests in 2007 as a luxury hotel.