Dromahair group says that new owners should have a plan for iconic Abbey Hotel
THE estate agents handling the sale of the historic Abbey Hotel in Dromahair have described interest in the property from potential buyers as “very keen”. Now a local development association has said that it hopes that any potential buyer would have plans to restore the hotel to its former glory.
A spokesperson for Gordon Hughes Estate Agents told the
Sligo Weekender there have been “numerous bids and enquiries” and lively interest since the landmark hotel was put up for sale with a reserve of €250,000. “We have taken lots of calls and there have been bids, there’s certainly a healthy interest in the hotel, but we anticipated that interest would be there,” the spokesperson added.
Welcoming the keen interest in the building Margaret Sharkey, chairperson of the Dromahair Development Association and Tidy Towns said the hotel, which has been vacant since 2009, is now “an eyesore” and very badly needs major investment.
She said: “We are watching this sale with keen interest as we feel the hotel could be a huge resource returned to the village. It closed in early July 2009, exactly 12 years ago, and we went from having two hotels (Patton’s and the Abbey Manor) to none.
“It’s one thing to see people showing an interest in buying it, but as a community and a development association it is vital that whoever buys it does so with a plan to redevelop it.”
Alluding to the fact that the tidy towns group and the development association are under the one umbrella for many years in Dromahair, Ms Sharkey said the hotel in its current state is “rough looking” and she added that her own concern was that it may be a safety risk.
“There is no doubt it will require a major investment once purchased, but it will be more than worth it. We need more accommodation for visitors here, this is a beautiful village, steeped in heritage, history and culture. We have Creevelea Abbey and Parke’s Castle on our doorstep and the wonderful Lough Gill, all huge attractions, but what we need when things return to how they were is a hotel where people can stay, where we can hold social functions and a place where we can interact as a group, a community.”
While the images here point to an essentially derelict property, the original Victorian listed building is a seven bay, double-pile hotel, built circa 1860. The building was extensively extended providing additional accommodation, 26 bedrooms, reception rooms and a large function room to the rear of the property but it has been closed since July 2009.
The hotel, in its former existence, was one of the major wedding hotels of the area. The structure will require extensive restoration and refurbishment throughout in order to return it to its former glory.
Former Senator Michael Comiskey told the Sligo Weekender that the hotel played a vital and important role for decades in the village and like so many others, he was very keen to see it sold and redeveloped. “In the absence of Patton’s Hall and the Manor Hotel, Dromahair does need a property that can act as a social fulcrum once we finally get to the far side of the coronavirus pandemic. The village needs this beautiful structure restored to its former glory and I’m hoping that this will happen as it would be a great asset for the people of the village and those who visit here,” he said.
Apart from weddings and social gatherings ranging from birthday celebrations to christenings parties, he recalled how the hotel also hosted weekly bingo for the parish of Drumlease which takes in Killargue, Newtownmanor and Dromahair.
“At the moment with Covid-19 we are in a different space, but when things get up and running again, it would be wonderful to see the hotel up and running too,” he added.
“As the building has been closed now for more than ten years it stands out now for the wrong reasons perhaps but were the lights to go back on and the place to get busy again with work done on it, I think it would send out a strong message too, so let’s hope there is a positive conclusion to the sale as Dromahair is a beautiful village and needs places like the hotel to accommodate people who want to come here,” he said.
Historically the hotel has consistently featured in various guides, not least the wonderful early 20th century travelogue ‘Rambles in Éirinn’ by William Bulfin. He described the Abbey Hotel as “one of the best of its kind in Ireland, and one of the cheapest, although its accommodation is first class. It is named after the old abbey which stands beyond the town on the river banks.”