An Coimisiún Pleanála Refuses Permission for High Performance Rowing Centre On Blessington Lake

20th January 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Blessington Lake, Co Wicklow, where plans for a high-performance rowing centre were refused over wildlife and lake-use concerns, despite an earlier inspector recommendation to grant permission.

An Coimisiún Pleanála has refused planning permission for a high-performance rowing centre on the shores of Blessington Lake in Co Wicklow.

As The Wicklow People reports, permission was refused in spite of an earlier recommendation from an inspector for An Coimisiún Pleanála that planning be granted.

The Rowing Ireland proposal dates back to 2017, and permission which was previously granted was quashed in the High Court in March of 2022 after a judicial review.

The main reasons for the refusal related to the potential adverse impact of the proposed centre on the Greylag Geese conservation species and the risk of an intensified use of the lakes.

Read The Wicklow People here

Published in Rowing

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