Galway County Council has initiated legal proceedings against developer Gerry Barrett and his company, Denalibrook Ltd, concerning alleged non-compliance with planning enforcement notices linked to a 48-home residential scheme in Barna, Co Galway.
The case relates to the An Maolán development at Forramoyle East in Connemara, which originally received planning permission in 2018 through another company, Drumque Ltd. Barrett, founder of Edward Holdings and former owner of the five-star G Hotel and Spa in Galway city, is named in a recently issued District Court summons alongside Denalibrook Ltd and Dublin-based management consultant Pat O’Sullivan.
Company records list O’Sullivan as a director of both Denalibrook and Drumque Ltd. Drumque was dissolved in 2024 after being struck off the Companies Register for failure to file annual returns.
In March 2025, Denalibrook applied to Galway County Council for an extension of time to complete the Barna development. The council approved a one-year extension subject to the lodgement of a cash deposit or other financial security totalling almost €1.05 million within three months.
According to the local authority, the bond was required to secure the completion of remaining works within the estate and on an adjoining section of roadway.
The council had previously served planning enforcement notices on Denalibrook, Barrett and O’Sullivan in 2024 in relation to the same development. Reports at the time indicated that planners had raised concerns regarding compliance with conditions attached to the original planning approval, including roadworks, landscaping and other outstanding elements.
The latest court action concerns the alleged failure to comply with both the 2024 enforcement notice and a further enforcement notice issued in September 2025 relating to the financial conditions attached to the extension of planning permission.
The matter is scheduled to come before Galway District Court next month.
“As the case is ongoing and with our legal team, we are not in a position to comment at this point,” said Galway County Council planning director Liam Hanrahan.
Gerry Barrett did not respond to questions submitted through Edward Holdings.
The first homes in the An Maolán scheme were placed on the market in 2019 and a significant number sold quickly. However, the development subsequently experienced delays, with some purchasers waiting several years before taking possession of their homes.
While most of the estate is now occupied, some works at the development remain incomplete.
