U2 bassist Adam Clayton has secured planning permission to build a cottage on his Danesmoate estate in south Dublin to accommodate the estate’s resident head gardener.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has granted planning permission to the British-born musician to demolish the existing single-storey staff facilities building. In its place, he has been given the go-ahead for a new single-storey gardener’s accommodation building of 110 square metres with adjoining sheds.
Clayton purchased the 18th century house in the mid 1980s. It was the site of the recording of U2′s seminal ‘Joshua Tree’ album. The current Head Gardener, Daragh Stone, has has been in situ since 2020 and heads a team of four gardeners, including two part-timers.
The planning authority also concluded that the proposed development would not adversely impact on the residential or visual amenity or character of Danesmoate House and its curtilage or adjacent properties. The house is a protected structure.
The Council stated that the gardens at Danesmoate “are noted to be an exemplar in horticultural terms and requires a team of gardening staff for ongoing maintenance”.
Architect’s Plans for the Cottage
Pat Kennedy of Cantrell & Crowley Architects for Clayton told the council that the proposed gardener’s accommodation will consist of an L-shaped single storey building wrapped around a small private courtyard. Kennedy stated that the accommodation building “will have a contemporary design, with historic elements added to match with the character of the walled garden”.
A separate report lodged with the application states that the proposed structures “will blend into the landscape of the walled garden and will have no negative impact on the character of this historic garden”.
Clayton’s Love of Gardening
In an interview with Country Life discussing the gardens, Clayton said, “We went a bit bonkers on the magnolias”. There are 50 varieties of magnolia at Danesmoate.
Over 4,000 trees have been planted since Clayton purchased the estate in 1988 for a reported price of €380,000. The 17 acres includes a formal garden and a woodland area. Although Clayton started his garden project 30 years ago, he told BBC’s Gardeners World that he sees it as only an “adolescent garden”, adding that he can “just see what its going to be” at maturity.
Asked what gardening means to him, Clayton told the BBC programme, “It just takes my mind out of myself”.
A Legacy in Bloom
Clayton’s passion for gardening has transformed the Danesmoate estate into a vibrant haven of horticultural beauty. The new gardener’s cottage is a testament to his commitment to the estate and its future, ensuring that the legacy of his horticultural endeavors continues to flourish for years to come.
