Unlike Tom McFeeley, who developed Priory Hall, Bernard McNamara was a pillar of the establishment.

Revenues at one of the best known four-star hotels in the country, the Parknasilla Resort in Co Kerry last year increased 18% to €5m in “a terrific year” for the business.

A PRIME sited and profitable Dublin city hotel developed by city bar and hotel owners the Dwyer brothers is up for sale, expected to find an overseas buyer, for as much as €35m.

Ownership of the historic Parknasilla Hotel on the Ring of Kerry was due to change this week, with the overseas buyer behind the €10m-plus purchase, represented in Kenmare by DreamIreland businessman Tony Daly.

Foreign investors aretaking advantage of sharply reduced prices, with the sale of the Burlington, Fota Island Hotel and others attracting American and Chinese investors. Realistic prices are helping to attract these overseas buyers and breathing some life into a moribund market. Tommy Barker says major property sales were also a good sign and it’s likely that receivership sales will feature more strongly in 2013.

Marie Toft says coastal resort Parknasilla has water sports, fine dining and lovely views.

BOTH the Parknasilla Hotel and the Cork International Airport Hotel have overseas buyers, the first in legals, the second sold to Phillips Hotels Ltd for approximately €5m. So Savills’ successful run of sales shows it’s not just the Dublin hotel market (where the 500 bed Burlington’s selling for €70 m to the private equity group Blackstone) that’s attracting investors.

AS MORE and more Irish hotels are coming to market, the question of investor appetite raises its head.

BIDS are at an advanced stage and heading towards €20m from European and Asian parties on the Fota Island Resort in Cork harbour this month, as Kerry’s Parknasilla gem joins Fota on the international sales market.

The Ring of Kerry gem-set hotel Parkna-silla, on 500 acres and with 62 lodges and villas, has been put up for sale for €10m.

IT WAS as if any mention of economic doom and gloom was banned at the Curragh yesterday.

TRUE Georgian era houses of stature on the Ring of Kerry are a bit of a rarity, and so Scart House near Castlecove is in rather an exclusive league in one of the country’s most scenic areas.

ONE of Ireland’s best known hotels, which has counted Princess Grace, Charles de Gaulle and George Bernard Shaw as guests, reopened yesterday following a multi-mullion euro refurbishment.

The board of Great Southern Hotels Limited (GSH) has approved the sale of seven of its eight hotels as going concerns and the decision has been ratified by the board of Dublin Airport Authority.

POTENTIAL purchasers are already showing an interest in the Great Southern Hotel (GSH) group, which is to be taken out of State ownership and sold.

CHAIRMAN, Bill Murphy and all the outgoing officers were re-elected at a low key Munster Branch AGM held in Mallow.

The Aer Rianta-owned Great Southern Hotels group is seeking a private sector partner to finance a €50 million-plus redevelopment of Parknasilla Hotel in County Kerry.

Mick Easterby is keen to run Parknasilla in the JCB Triumph Hurdle following the four-year-old’s successful jumping debut at Leicester.

ONLY in three luxury hotels in Ireland can satisfaction be virtually assured, according to an independent guide just published.