Hotel at centre of gas death probe reopens but trade hit

THE hotel in which a woman died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning has suffered cancellations and also slashed its staff’s working hours.

The Trident Hotel in Kinsale, Co Cork, where 35-year-old Miriam Reidy died after a gas leak, fully reopened for business yesterday following a safety inspection of a new boiler system.

One of the hotel’s wings — which includes the room in which the tragedy occurred — is to be completely revamped in the summer.

In his first interview since last month’s tragedy, the hotel’s manager Hal McElroy admitted both he and his staff had been emotionally drained.

The hotel, he said, had received tremendous support from the local community, who believe the flagship hotel’s future is essential to business in the thriving tourist town.

Mr McElroy said: “It’s been a hugely tough time for everyone involved in the hotel.

“The terrible incident that took place had a knock-on effect on everybody that works here. It’s been very difficult for all the staff because there was so much emotion involved.

“And what happened very much put us on a back foot. A number of people have cancelled their bookings and gone elsewhere and we’ve had to reduce the working hours of some of our 35 staff.

“But we’ve received tremendous support in the community. Our regular customers have made an extra effort to come in and we’ve been inundated with good luck messages and cards from local people.

“The people here know that The Trident is an essential part of Kinsale’s tourist make-up and they are delighted to see us back open.”

Mr McElroy confirmed an inspection into the cause of the tragedy by the HSA will continue, but he said it would not interfere with the day-to-day running of the hotel.

“We decided to open up ahead of Valentine’s Day and bookings have been strong..

“But there will be some major refurbishment taking place of other parts of the hotel before we open the rest of it up.”

The hotel re-opened on the same day that Marie Reidy — the bride whose hen party ended in the tragic death of her cousin Miriam — got married.