Cork council forks out almost €50k on St Patrick's Day trips to the US

The single largest bill on the trip was for the cost of accommodation at the four-star Hilton Chicago (pictured) where an invoice was paid for just over €9,500 with no breakdown of nightly rates provided. File picture

A $9,500 bill to stay at the Hilton in Chicago and a $1,500 brunch bill were among the headline items on a near €47,000 spend by Cork County Council on its St Patrick's Day trips.

Five councillors and six officials travelled to New York, Chicago and Detroit for St Patrick’s Day this year, with almost €18,000 spent on flights and a further €17,366 spent on a range of hotels for the celebrations.