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Tue 05 May 2004Stalactite cave plan gets new permissionClare County Council has granted planning permission to develop as a tourist attraction a cave that reputedly contains the largest free-hanging stalactite in the world.The authority gave the go-ahead to Mr John Browne and Ms Helen Browne, of Ardeamish, Lisdoonvarna, to develop Pol an Ionain cave near Doolin in spite of opposition from An Taisce, the Pol an Ionain Action Group and the Speleological Union of Ireland. It is the third time that the council has granted planning permission to the Brownes to develop the cave in the past 13 years. Planning was first granted in 1991. However, the Brownes failed to develop the plan after becoming embroiled in a High Court land dispute with a local farmer.