Beara Bay Hotel - Finally Sold

The picture above is the current scene outside the Beara Bay Hotel, in the centre of Castletownbere, with the inside of the hotel totally gutted.  This saga has been ongoing since it was acquired by Berehaven Credit Union in 1996, who later sold a portion of it on to a buyer in Dublin.  When he failed to obtain planning permission for his plans, he tried to purchase the total building - but in vain and he felt it was not feasible to continue with the development because of the limited space. 

The new owner is Larry Lawless from Bandon, has purchased this section from that owner and has succeeded in obtaining the remaining piece from the Credit Union, who have since obtained another premises in the town for their development.  He proposes to open a night club with full bar facilities by June, followed by accommodation and function facilities.  Although the sight above is not pretty, the general feeling of the local community is that it is certainly a step in the right direction, as the premises has been derelict for too long and was an eyesore in the centre of the town, losing marks each year in the Tidy Towns Competition.  Mr. Lawless has premises in Macroom and Skibbereen and has recently sold another in Bandon.  He is wished every success in his development here in Beara.