Billionaire James Dyson plans to construct tennis court at historic Waterford estate

Darragh Murphy

Ongoing restoration works at Ballynatray Estate in west Waterford continue, with a new set of plans submitted this week, which include the construction of a tennis court on the estate grounds.

The estate has undergone significant work since coming under the ownership last year of multibillionaire vacuum cleaner magnate James Dyson for a reported fee of €30 million.

Previously planned at the site in recent months has been the restoration of the estate's gatehouses, various demolition works, and the installation of a new internal lift within the iconic residence.

Also being planned on the grounds is a helicopter landing area. These plans were subsequently appealed and are currently being inspected by An Coimisiún Pleanála.

New plans submitted this week outline intentions to construct a tennis court on the grounds of the estate.

The tennis court is proposed in the estate's upper garden, a former 19th-century production or kitchen garden for the house.

It is proposed to remove all gravel paths, flower beds, timber steps and hedging within the garden to facilitate the provision of the new tennis court.

Also contained within the new plans are intentions to make alterations to the estate’s folly.

The folly, located to the east of the estate’s stable yards, is a rubble stone structure which features a Gothic arched doorway and window opening.

It was built in the late eighteenth century and was created as a lookout to provide sheltered views across the estate.

There is currently no floor, and only a small number of the structure’s wall capping stones survive.

Proposed works to the folly include the installation of a mono-pitched slate roof to match the structure's original roof profile and the installation of new timber-framed windows.

"We confirm there are no demolitions proposed to the Folly," a planning report submitted by the applicant outlined.

A decision on whether to grant permission for these developments is expected from Waterford City and County Council by October 27th.

Ballynatray is an 850-acre estate featuring an 18th-century classical-style house, with an associated farm complex.

The house is listed within the Record of Protected Structures and by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

According to the Historic Houses of Ireland index, Ballynatray is eleven bays long and five bays wide, and of two storeys over a basement. The house has a late-Georgian appearance.

The index says: "The interior was clearly built for entertaining on the grandest scale, with a sumptuous suite of interconnecting reception rooms, all with stupendous views, wide, double mahogany doors and some fine early nineteenth century plasterwork."

The residence was seen last year, almost entirely enclosed in scaffolding and screening as restoration works commenced.

The house was also extensively worked on in the late 1990s by a previous owner.