Long-empty Midlands hotel is purchased by a County Council

Offaly County Council has purchased the long-empty former hotel, Royal Shannon, in Banagher.

The news has been warmly welcomed by locals, who remember a once thriving hotel which became derelict for many years and was described as “a dreadful eyesore”.

A recent painting scheme has improved its appearance and very positive things are now expected for it with the Council as owners.

The Council intends that the former hotel will fit in with the plan to rejuvenate Banagher Marina and the area around it. This rejuvenation project is now at an advanced stage thanks to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

Cllr Clare Claffey told the Midland Tribune that it's “fantastic news that Offaly County Council have purchased the former Royal Shannon Hotel. It's been great to see the local community and business all rowing in with support for this hugely important work. I've been working with the regeneration team on this since June 2021 and I'd like to thank the team and the local community for all their hard work and commitment to this project. The next step will be getting a design team on board and we will be working on that early in the new year. This will be the perfect complement to the ongoing plans to rejuvenate the Banagher Marina and the area around it. The plans were given a big shot in the arm by the RRDF funding and are at an advanced stage.”

Cllr Claffey raised the problem of the hotel on a number of occasions during Council meetings over the last couple of years. In June 2021 she said the premises had been empty for many years and was “a dreadful eyesore.” She had also told the June 2021 meeting that this prominent building beside the Marina was once a beautiful and thriving place. Royal Shannon was bought many years ago by a Vulture Fund, which subsequently sat on the property and did nothing, allowing it to fall into a bad state of dereliction.

Royal Shannon is a protected structure.

The building was put up for sale later in 2021 and was bought by a local buyer, who recently sold it to the Council.

Royal Shannon is an attractive structure. It's a terraced three-bay, three-storey former house, built about 1800, with a bowed entrance bay, and modern extensions to the rear. It's a striking feature of the town's streetscape and has been called “one of the grandest structures within the town” and “ a prime example of a grand Irish townhouse”.

Of particular architectural note are the bowed breakfront with conical roof and the finely tooled stone doorcase, with its decorative patera and fluted columns which contribute to the artistic significance of the structure. Enclosing the building is a fine cut limestone plinth with evidence of the positioning of iron railings.

It was once the home of the renowned English novelist Anthony Trollope.

An excellent Master Plan for the Marina and Environs was published last September. The Council says the Marina project is one element of a larger regeneration plan for the wider town.

The project will develop the marina for visitors, offer new opportunities to local businesses and improve the experience of living in and around the town for local residents. Among the many proposals, there are a number of proposals for changing and improving the traffic management in the area. Among these is a plan to dedicate more space to pedestrians, cyclists and public spaces, rather than to cars and other vehicles.

Other ideas include: using the Steam Packet building as a café/restaurant; improving the public park with seating, picnic benches and potential for pop-up dining; creating a pedestrian link under the ramp bridge; creating a walking/cycling link to Fort Eliza; creating a multi-functional space within the barrack's walls for markets and other events; improving the road environment and access, including: providing new road surface and materials, raising the road surface at the crossing area for traffic calming, improving pedestrian crossings; transforming vacant properties (where they occur) as retail/crafts/self-catering units.