Work has begun this week on a multi-million euro refurbishment of the historic Carrigart Hotel.
The project, being undertaken by Bridge Byrne Development, is expected to take up to two years to complete. When finished, it will provide between 40 and 50 much needed tourist bedrooms to meet the huge demand in the area.
The work is being carried on behalf of the current owners, the Boyle family from Trentagh who run the hugely successful Boyle Construction. The hotel restaurant, ‘The Carrigart’, will remain open for the next month before closing for renovations. However, it is expected to reopen in time for Christmas, along with the hotel bar.
Local Fine Gael TD, Joe McHugh, told Donegal Daily the news is a ‘massive boost’ for the area. He also said the addition of the St Patrick’s Links to the Rosapenna Golf Resort in 2019 has turned the north Donegal peninsula into a world-famous golfing destination.
“The big game changer for this area has been the new St Patrick’s Links which has created interest from all over the world,” Deputy McHugh said.
“As a result, we need more top class accommodation here and that’s exactly what the Boyle family is going to provide. This is a massive boost for Carrigart and the surrounding areas and there is unbelievable excitement here about the Carrigart Hotel.”
Deputy McHugh also believes hotel refurbishment is going to ‘trigger further investment’ in the village.
“Bedroom capacity has been a challenge in the area so this will be a game changer, it will definitely trigger further investment in Carrigart. I am delighted the Boyle family has made this commitment to an area they are no stranger to,” he concluded.
According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH), the hotel may have been built in 1890 by the Fourth Earl of Leitrim, of the nearby Mulroy House. This was to the north-west of where the main block stands today.
The two-storey block to the west side of the present main building may have incorporated part of this earlier hotel. The main block was said to have been built by a Michael Friel to replace the earlier hotel.
The establishment was taken over by Mary Ann Maguire in 1934 and later by the Walsh family in 1946. The family subsequently put the hotel on the market in 2010 with an asking price of €1.5 million.
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