A slice of history

THE four-star Old Ground Hotel in Ennis has a long and somewhat chequered history.

Originally built in the 18th century as a private dwelling, it was first turned into a hotel in 1895.

Among other claims to fame (or infamy), the hotel acted as Sinn Féin campaign headquarters during the war of Independence, was ransacked by the Black and Tans, the Banquet Hall was once a jail, it may be haunted and beneath the carpeted floors are dungeons. And to add a touch of glamour, the reception area was once a cocktail bar used by Pan Am staff in the 1940s.