Developer claims €25m hotel plan can boost resort

A €25 MILLION hotel plan could be the springboard for other major developments in a north Kerry seaside resort, a would-be developer claimed yesterday.

Former Mayor of San Jose Tom McEnery is planning to build the hotel on the site of Ballybunion’s old Castle Hotel, which has been demolished.

However, there have been some objections to the development from people who believe that the site, which opens up views of the Atlantic and the Shannon Estuary, should not be built on again, or else be the location for very limited development.

Mr McEnery is to meet with planning officials today to discuss a scaled-down proposal for the site.

“Further information has been requested from Mr McEnery and this is a pre-planning meeting,” a county council spokesperson said yesterday.

“Once revised plans have been submitted, there will be a four-week gap for a decision to be made, provided all the information is acceptable from a planning point of view.”

Initially, Mr McEnery planned a 120-bedroom hotel, but this is now being reduced to around 80 rooms.

In is understood that he is in discussion with the Stein Group, which runs hotels in Dublin and other European cities, in regard to the promotion and running of the proposed hotel.

His fellow Americans are amongst the largest groups of visitors to Ballybunion, mainly to play golf on the famous local links.

But most of the visiting golfers do not stay overnight in Ballybunion, and the feeling is that more hotel bedrooms are needed in the area to capitalise more fully on the golfing attractions.

Ballybunion is also one of the country’s most traditional seaside resorts and its beaches have been luring in visitors for countless generations.