Sr Irene Gibson had been convicted last December of a breach of the Planning and Development Act when establishing a hermitage at Corrin South in Leap
A Carmelite nun has been given nine months to find a new place to live and worship after a judge accepted that she had made a genuine effort to dismantle a hermitage which she had established without planning permission in West Cork.
Sr Irene Gibson, a Carmelite nun of the Holy Face of Jesus, had been convicted last December of a breach of the Planning and Development Act when establishing a hermitage at Corrin South in Leap
She and fellow nun Sr Anne Marie were given until April of this year to return the site to it's original condition and move on
Yesterday Skibbereen District Court heard that those efforts had proved fruitless with the nuns running into problems such as insufficient funds and logistical difficulties
Judge James McNulty viewed up to date photos of the site and said significant progress had been made - adjourning the case until June 22 he asked the council to look at accommodating the nuns while also urging Sr Irene to look at other options such as Leitrim or Mayo where housing might be more plentiful
