The €20m sale of Limerick city’s four-star Strand Hotel has gone through to US billionaire John Malone: he adds it to his other Irish hotel investments, such as Dublin’s Hilton Hotel, the Westin and the Trinity City Hotel.

IRISH hotel operating group Choice Hotels have taken over management of the Blarney Golf Resort, which was snapped up this year by Northern Ireland-based investor Tommy O’Gorman for c€2.5m, after seeing a c€40 investment in its initial resort and hotel development.