The Meath demolition drama and our troubled relationship with planning, with Lorcan Sirr

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast · Mar 27, 2026 · 32m

The demolition of a family home in Co Meath last week brought the idea of ‘build first, apply for retention later’ into the spotlight. Chris and Rose Murray built the 588sq m (6,220sq ft) house near Navan in 2006 despite being refused planning permission for a bungalow half that size on the site. After five unsuccessful retention bids and three failed appeals to keep the home intact, it was eventually demolished last week. While the house has now been demolished, the case divided public opinion enormously and it highlighted the tensions between the planning system, the public, and…