LATEST: Tipperary community hotel report - which cost €150,000 - released

The much anticipated feasibility report, which cost €150,000 to produce, on a closed hotel in the centre of Roscrea has been published.

The lengthy report, which is over 100 pages, details the condition of the former Damer Court Hotel in Roscrea and puts forward three potential renovation projects which could see the landmark business on Roscrea's Castle Street, return to the hospitality and catering business.

The landmark hotel, which closed in 2013 and was formerly known as the Pathé Hotel and later Grants Hotel, is currently for sale and a proposal last year by now retired Fianna Fáil TD, Jackie Cahill and his Roscrea based party colleague, Councillor Michael Smith, for the government to purchase the building led to the feasibility study.

The feasibility report examined the potential to reopen the former Grants Hotel and notes in the conclusion of the lengthy document that "until recently, there was a second hotel operating in Roscrea, but this was repurposed in 2023 and now there is no approved tourism accommodation available to service both the community and tourism within the town".

The report states there is clear potential to improve the tourism offering within Roscrea but acknowledged that "this market is not currently developed and cannot be evidenced".

The hotel's proximity to other attractions that are consistently reporting high visitor numbers, the impact of significant
investments which are imminent at Roscrea Castle, together with the proposed development of the Greenway and Butler Trail, will all have a direct impact on the attractiveness of Roscrea to tourists and will help improve the tourism potential over time, it says.

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However, it will take time to develop such a market in Roscrea they find and state that "therefore the success of any hotel development project will be contingent on the community support for the project".

The report states that market research undertaken as part of this study has concluded that there is demand for a quality restaurant to open up the night-time economy and for a function space that has host local family and social events to service both the local community and those from surrounding regions.

The report says research has shown that in other towns across Ireland, there are numerous rural hotels that are
sustainable mainly due to servicing the local community through the provision of a quality restaurant and a function room that could service family events, music events etc.

"Accommodation is somewhat of a secondary revenue stream and is not the key contributor to revenue", the report says.

"It is believed that given the scale of the project and the lack of an active tourism market that can be evidenced at present, that it may be challenging to attract private sector investment for the capital build.

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"Consideration could perhaps be given to seeking public funds to cover the capital costs and thereafter, the project has the ability to be operationally viable with the right management team in place, perhaps through a public private partnership arrangement. Important to note that State Aid rules will apply. Furthermore, there is potential to recoup part of this investment once the market develops.

"However this can only be delivered if the community fully support the project", the report says. 

The report is available to the public on the Tipperary County Council website.