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This beautiful listed sandstone building was once part of the
Macnaghtens of Dunderave Estate, it was built in the early
1860's by Sir Edward Macnaghten the fourth Baronet who became
Lord of Appeal for the United Kingdom in 1887 with a life peerage.
In 1951 Sir Malcolm Macnaghten donated Runkerry House to the
Northern Ireland government for pubic use. It was used for
many years as a wonderful retirement home, later as a Residential
Activity Centre and finally a Rehabilitation Unit. It was closed
down and in 1996 without consultation with the community for other
possible public/social uses, placed on the open market and sold at
Public Auction to Seaport Investments Limited.
At the time the sale caused controversy in relation to the moral
'right of sale' by the government of a charitably donated
property. Shortly after its purchase the
Talon Group Inc announced on its website the future development of Runkerry House as follows,
quote: Runkerry Hotel and Golf Club, Bushmills, Northern
Ireland 'Talon is a partner in the development of a meeting,
spa and golf resort in Northern Ireland. This facility will offer 5
star accommodations and a world class golf course. Development is
ongoing and it is anticipated that the resort will open in late
1998' - unquote. Although the Hotel and Golf Club have
not come to life, Runkerry House underwent enlargement and new
landscaping, the development in keeping with the old building, as the
two photographs show. The National Trust who regard themselves as,
quote: 'custodians of the natural heritage' did not take issue
with the development in close proximity to an UNESCO World
Heritage Site and designated AONB ( Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty), even though plans were there at that time for a development
in line with the Talon Group's announcement. Similar 'development'
versus 'landscape heritage' issues have been raised along the north
coast at both Cushendun and Carrick-a-Rede, again with no
intervention by the National Trust.
Another issue raised
after the sale of Runkerry related to an old 'permissive' right of
way through part of the exclusive property. The Trust facilitated the
removal of an old foot bridge and built a new footbridge further
downstream
without planning permission. The right of way issue became the
focus of a court case between local walkers and Seaport Investments
Limited - who won the case. A track is believed to have
existed to the Black Rock salmon station
and boat slip long before Runkerry House was built and used by local
fishermen. It is also recorded as being used by local boatmen before
the turn of the century to take visitors around to view the Giants
Causeway and Portcoon Cave. There are echoes here of another famous 'right of way' court case which involved
access to the Causeway Stones, after first losing the case, the High
Court in London overturned the ruling when
evidence was produced proving that the maintenance for the
right of way had been contracted out from Dervock to the Causeway Stones
by
Antrim Borough Council. Runkerry House reached the news again in
1999 when the Northern Ireland Executive announced on its website,
Quote - 'A
new local Northern Ireland property record was set in March 1999
when New York banker, David Hamilton-Brown bought a 2,500 sq ft
apartment in Runkerry House, County Antrim for £400,000.' -
unquote. A
pathway in the photographs are part of the Ulster Way and run
from the Causeway
past Portcoon around Runkerry headland and Runkerry House, over the footbridge and onto Bushfoot Strand. The
salmon house and sheltered boat slip can be seen in the top left
hand photograph. |
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