Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins old schoolhouse in Lisavaird, County Cork, has been saved from demolition as a result of an appeal by the Irish National Trust. There had been plans to replace it with a petrol station and three houses.

The Irish Planning Board ruled that the school building was of special historical interest and significance. “The demolition of the remaining structure of Lisavaird national school where Michael Collins, a principal figure in the Irish War of Independence, attended school has not been justified,” the board said.

The board also ruled that the proposed demolition would be contrary to a policy of the Cork county plan, which recognises the importance of heritage sites not formally included in the Record of Protected Structures.

Welcoming the ruling, the irish National Trust's Ian Lumley told the press: “As the centenary of the 1916 Rising to the 1922-1923 Civil War approaches, there will be a significantly increased focus on the locations associated with major events and figures of this period.”