Landmark Royal Dublin Hotel shuts its doors

2008-12-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

December 24 2008, Herald.ie

A popular city meeting point is being missed over the festive period after the Royal Dublin Hotel shut its doors for the last time.

The landmark hotel closed on Sunday, though the move had nothing to do with the recession.

The Royal Dublin, located at the top of O'Connell Street, had been a feature on the street for 40 years.

It was sold to property developer Joe O'Reilly almost two years ago.

The hotel will be knocked down as part of the redevelopment of the Carlton cinema site, which received planning permission this month.

The plans for the Carlton site do not include a hotel.

Some 68 members of staff were made redundant, while another 25 who were hired on short-term contracts to help cater for Christmas parties at the hotel were also laid off.

Local councillor Tom Stafford, in whose constituency the hotel is located, told the Herald it was sad that the Royal Dublin had to close.

Sad

"It was a sad situation. That hotel is the place that I first started my political career," Cllr Stafford said.

He recalled that he wasn't even in the hotel but he got a phone call from his father, the former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Tom Stafford Snr.

"Bertie Ahern and my father put me on the ticket. My father rang me and said to put a suit of clothes on you and come up to the Royal Dublin. I remember it as clear as day and that took place in the Royal Dublin," Cllr Stafford said.

City council area meetings were also held in the hotel. "That was a big hotel. There were big bars in it. It'll be badly missed in the city centre. We'll miss it there now. If somebody asked you to go for a drink, you'd either go to the Gresham or the Royal Dublin," Cllr Stafford said.

Mr O'Reilly's Castlethorn Developments completed the purchase of the hotel in early 2007 for about €30m.

At the time, it was announced that the hotel would close soon after, but, after talks with the hotel's managers, it was agreed that the hotel would trade as normal while plans for the site were finalised.

The 117-bedroom hotel was known as a regular meeting spot in the capital and was host to the Kirov Ballet in the early 1990s and pop singer Duffy in more recent times.

Rochestown Park Hotel - Cork

2008-12-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Kingsley Hotel - Cork

2008-12-16T08:04:00.001-08:00

The Kingsley Hotel was born in 1998 and has grown to be an integral part of the hotel sector in Ireland's second capital, Cork. In 2005, the hotel's directors, Thomas Mc Carthy and Thomas Kelly invested hugely in developing and repositioning the now 5-star Kingsley Hotel to be set apart as a place of sheer luxury and contentment.

Dublin map

2008-12-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Dublin Accommodation

2008-12-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

Hotels. Self-Catering. B&Bs. Hostels.

Ireland Hotels & Guesthouses

2008-11-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

All Ireland hotels and guesthouses