During a county council meeting on Monday, April 28, Chief Executive Liam Conneally said that there had never been any planning applications made by the Misunderstood Heron to develop and operate in the Leenane area.
In recent weeks, the council were contacted by a member of the public regarding ‘unauthorised activity and development’ on the site which prompted them to take action.
Mr. Conneally said: “The first proposal for Killary leisure centre was in 1997. Since then a total of 28 planning applications have been made for this area. None of them had ever been made by the Misunderstood Heron and it was on that basis, on the basis of a complaint made by a member of the public, we had no option but to continue on with the planning proposal process.”
Operated by husband-and-wife Kim Young and Reinaldo Seco since 2017, the café had become a staple of journeys to Connemara for its blend of Chilean and Irish cuisine but in a shock announcement last week, promptly shut following the close of business on Sunday, April 27.
In a post shared on social media, the Leenane-based food truck announced their last weekend of trading would take place on Saturday, April 26, having been ‘shut down’ by planners at Galway County Council.
The Misunderstood Heron Café in Leenane, Connemara. Photo: @misunderstood_heron (Instagram)
Since the announcement, an outpouring of messages in support of the award-winning café have followed in response. Over 1,000 comments have been left on the initial post.
Well-known Irish figures have also paid tribute to the café on Instagram and called for a resolution to be found. In one comment, Rozanna Purcell urged Galway County Council to find a solution, calling the café a “destination stop” and an example of a “great thriving Irish business”, with broadcaster Louise McSherry also expressing her disappointment at the decision.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – April 30th
A host of popular chefs from across Ireland such as JP McMahon and Neven Maguire also paid tribute to the popular eatery, with the latter expressing dismay of “an amazing place with incredible food and people”.
TV chef Donal Skehan also shared his condolences with the owners of Misunderstood Heron, as well as slamming the council for a decision he described as “ridiculous”.
“So disappointed to hear that – without a doubt a shining example of just how interesting food business can be done. I hope for the sake of locals and the many tourists who have this on their list @galwaycountycouncil turn this ridiculous decision on its head,” he said.
Despite the enforced closure, the Misunderstood Heron say that they will persist with other ventures, such as catering and pop-ups, saying that more information will be revealed next week.
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