Cork five-star resort to curtail access to grounds after anti-social behaviour by local teens

Castlemartyr Hotel and Resort in East Cork said local youths had been holding drinking parties in its wooded areas, with a recent fire requiring the fire service

Castlemartyr Hotel and Resort in East Cork blamed some local teenagers for the spike in incidents in recent weeks, with locals reporting gangs of youths have been gaining access to some of the hotel’s secluded or wooded areas for drinking parties. Picture: Chani Anderson

A plush five-star Cork resort has warned it may have to curtail open access to its beautiful estate following a rise in anti social behaviour on the grounds.

The luxurious Castlemartyr Hotel and Resort in East Cork blamed some local teenagers for the spike in incidents in recent weeks, with locals reporting gangs of youths have been gaining access to some of the hotel’s secluded or wooded areas for drinking parties.

Fires have also been lit in some locations, with one of the more serious recent incidents requiring the fire service. 

That incident has been reported to gardaí and is under investigation.

In a statement it asked to be shared locally, the hotel's management team said: “Unfortunately, the actions of a few may result in us curtailing the current open access across both of our entrances. It is also worth sharing that all activity is currently being captured by camera with the images being shared with An Garda Síochana.” 

The 106-bedroom hotel, which was developed in the early 2000s, is set in some 220-acres of rolling countryside and woodland, complete with the ruins of an 800-year-old-castle that gives the village its name, and which was once home to Strongbow.

The hotel is also home to Terre, a two Michelin star fine dining restaurant.

The hotel underwent an extensive refurbishment just over two years ago when its new Singaporean owners, who bought it for  about €20m about a year earlier, ploughed an estimated €8m into the property, refurbishing the already upmarket hotel’s bedrooms and guest suites, as well as carrying out substantial improvements to the grounds.

Investors Dr Stanley Quek, a graduate of Dublin’s Trinity College and current pro-chancellor, and Irish-born Peng Loh, who also own the luxurious Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare, acquired the Ring of Kerry Golf Club around the same time.

But in a statement, the Castlemartyr team said the level of antisocial behaviour from unwelcome visitors onto its grounds has increased in recent weeks.

“Not to tarnish everybody with the same brush but this is predominantly local teenage youths,” it said.

“The resort is a commercial business that welcomes more than 100,000 tourists and members every year, employing over 300 local team members.

The ongoing unwanted activity is giving the area an unwelcomed reputation and causing distress for the team on site.

The hotel team stressed they have excellent relationships with the local community, that the hotel supports various local clubs and organisations, and that despite the recent increase in antisocial behaviour, it continues to welcome many local walkers through its gates.

And they said they welcomed the community’s support in sharing the message and helping them to maintain “the excellent reputation of Castlemartyr village”.

The hotel has been asked to comment.

Over the years, the hotel has welcomed several high-profile guests, including Bruce Springsteen, former US President Bill Clinton and the honeymooning Kardashians.