Council foils Conor McGregor’s plan for new mansion with two swimming pools

The UFC star applied for planning permission back in May to demolish his current five-bed 600 sqm property in Straffan, Co Kildare, which he bought from Albert Reynolds’s son, Albert Jnr, in 2019.

His proposal included plans to replace the detached house with an enormous six-bedroom pad complete with a cinema, gym, ‘treatment areas’, and swimming pool in a sunken basement as well as a second swimming pool outside.

The new 3,000sqm property would also include a mezzanine level, a games area, an indoor bar, and a new ramped driveway.

In the planning application’s design statement, architect Jason Tyler of Tyler Owens Architects claimed that McGregor’s existing house is ‘substandard in its construction’ and noted the styles and sizes of some of the local properties in the vicinity such as Straffan Lodge and The K Club, adding: “We believe our proposal is suitable for the size of the site, and the local character of these buildings indicated”.

This month, the council wrote to McGregor requesting further information on his plans and outlined some of its issues with his application.

The letter read: “Having regard to the setting of the subject development within the rural landscape, in the sensitive landscape character area of the River Liffey, it is considered that the design and scale of the proposed replacement dwelling, by virtue of its proposed length, massing and scale in relation to surrounding rural development, is inconsistent and does not comply with the provisions of the Kildare County ­Development Plan 2023-2029, in terms of rural design for new dwellings.”

The council also states that the location chosen for McGregor’s Waste Water Treatment System is ‘unsuitable’ for various reasons and urges the Dubliner to consult the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines.

The revised proposal must also comply with rural house design guidelines under the County Development Plan by designing buildings that are ‘restrained and absent of fussy add-ons or frills’ and not include unnecesarily large rooms ‘that are rarely used, which will increase area, cost and bulk’,

It adds that the request for further information is “not an indication that your application will receive favourable consideration” but is necessary to make a full assessment of the application.

McGregor must justify the new build and respond to the Planning Authority’s request for further information within six months.

It comes just three months after Fingal County Council rejected McGregor’s plans to build a 35-bedroom hotel on top of the now-closed Waterside bar in Howth, north Co Dublin after purchasing the pub for an estimated €1 million.

The council refused permission to G Boppers Ltd after local opposition to the five-storey boutique hotel, concluding that the proposal “would interfere with the character of the landscape or with a view or prospect of special amenity value or natural interest or beauty”.

Local resident Monica Lambert told the Sunday World earlier this year that she was alarmed at the idea of a rooftop terrace being planned on top of the building.

“While it is softly couched as a garden for residents, it will without doubt be used as a beer and party garden reminisced by Ibiza parties (sic),” she stormed at the time.

“The lack of consideration for community and residents leans heavily against the current application.”

She added: “The current application is maximalist without any consideration to acknowledge and minimise adverse impacts and to be proportionate to its location and environment.”

Meanwhile, McGregor revealed that he had made big winnings on his 36th birthday after placing a hefty bet on yesterday’s UEFA European Football Championship final between England and Spain.

He took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce that he was €1 million richer after making “easy money” by betting that Spain would beat the English side at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

The father-of-three shared that he had placed a bet for €83,500 on Spain to take home the trophy and said: “Vamos Spain! Easy money on the Spaniards to win the Euros on my birthday! A nice mil for The Mac!”