This article is from page 4 of the 2011-08-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE first move towards transforming the old Two-Mile Inn Hotel in Meelick into the biggest privately run nursing home in Clare began last week when a planning application was lodged with Clare County Council.
On behalf of the new owners of the property, Cork-based building firm Ó Mórdha Construction Ltd has applied to the planning authority for permission for “change of use from hotel to convalescence home”.
Included in this planning application that was submitted last Wednesday is a request to demolish the water tower structure on the site, an extension of the dining room facilities, a series of other internal modifications to make it suitable for a nursing home and the construction of an outdoor fenced children’s play area.
The planning application comes two months after the hotel was sold by GMV Auctioneers in Limerick on behalf of receivers Price Waterhouse Coopers.
The hotel first opened its doors in 1970, having being built by developer Tom Ryan, before being taken over by Brendan Dunne later that decade.
In October 2008, Billy O’Riordan of PriceWaterhouseCoopers was appointed as receiver and he placed the hotel on the market as a going concern, as was the Woodstock Hotel in Ennis, which was also part of the Dunne Group of hotels.
At the time, the price being sought was in the region of € 7m. However, two years later, when a buyer could not be found, the asking price was slashed to € 1.2m.
At the time, Mr Crosse described this as a “giveaway price” for such a substantial and high profile property that finally closed its doors in September 2010 before being sold last December in the region of the € 1.2m asking price.
The 123-bedroom hotel is located on an 11-acre site with substantial carparking space and when it closed employed 15 people. A decision on the planning application will be made by Clare County Council on September 20 next.