Much regret in Thurles as car park attached to Munster Hotel closes to general public

There is much regret in Thurles this week following news that the car park attached to the Munster Hotel has now closed to the general public.

The car park was used extensively by many people in the locality – especially those attending ceremonies and celebrations in the Cathedral of the Assumption, or events in the nearby Presentation primary and secondary schools.

Entry to the car park was off the Cathedral Street roundabout at the junction between Mitchel Street and Kickham Street.

The car park was made available to the public some years ago following an agreement between the owner of the property and the Thurles Municipal District Council – the car park had been disused following the closure of the hotel.

However, it is understood that the agreement has now come to an end and the car park will not be available to the public for the foreseeable future – it is understood that a dispute arose in relation to rent of the car park.

The Munster Hotel itself has been closed for many years and is in a very poor state of repair despite the best efforts of the proprietor to redevelop the building – a number of planning applications and proposals have been associated with the building but up to now none of those have been successful much to the disappointment of the proprietor – a well known local business man who has been involved in the development of a number of similar sites in the county.

The building, which is adjacent to the Cathedral Presbytery, has been the topic of much discussion with more than a few calls to have it taken in charge and refurbished.

The once iconic Munster Hotel in Thurles was a popular venue for social gatherings of all kinds and was an important business for many visiting the town for funerals across the road in the Cathedral. It was then under the ownership and management of local man Jim O’Connor and his family and was regarded as a very successful and important business in Thurles.

The matter was discussed at a meeting of the Municipal District Council recently and there was hope that an agreement could be reached between the local authority and the owner.

However, those attending Mass in the Cathedral of the Assumption at the weekend were advised of the regrettable news.

The weekly newsletter noted: “As you are probably aware, the Munster Hotel Car Park has now closed for public use. This is a regrettable decision for all who visit and attend ceremonies in our Cathedral. Please be aware of this and plan your parking accordingly when visiting the Cathedral. Please note the MIC (St. Patrick’s College) is available for weekend parking. However, due to the increased number of students, the MIC car park is not available on weekdays during college term.”

While there is parking available close to the Cathedral of the Assumption at Thurles Leisure Centre and in the adjoining car park, spaces are limited and tight. With so much parking having been removed from Liberty Square in favour of off-street parking in adjoining car parks, the Munster Hotel facility was seen as being vital to motorists at the eastern side of the River Suir bridge. Regrettably, that is now no longer the case.