Imperial Hotel in Cork celebrates 200th birthday

Actors dressed in period costume with wolfhounds at their sides greeted guests at a special bash last night to celebrate the 200th birthday of one of the country’s best known hotels.

More than 70 guests from the world of business, entertainment, and the media were invited to the function last night at the Imperial Hotel, Cork, also affectionately known as the Grand Dame of the city.

To commemorate the bicentenary the O’Flynn family-owned hotel has undergone a €1m-plus makeover, which included upgrading many of the 125 bedrooms while creating a new bar, Seventy Six on the Mall, and gym, Escape.