This article is from page 8 of the 2006-08-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
NORTH Clare has received a major employment boost with the news that more than 60 jobs are to be created at Hotel Doolin aver the next 12 months. The new €5.5 million hotel, which was officially opened yesterday, is the brainchild of John Burke, Managing Director of the Armada Hotel and Lisdoonvarna developer Paddy Burke.
Some 35 people will be employed between the hotel and the bar, Fitzpatrick’s, over the next few weeks with that number expected to swell to 50 next summer. The complex also contains five retail units which will employ up to 10 people when they are up and running.
“At the moment we are employing 25 people, but when it is fully opened in the next few weeks that will probably go up to about 35 people. We will be keeping on about that number of people for the winter and will be employing about 50 people in the hotel next summer,” said Mr Burke.
This is the second hotel to open in Doolin in the last few weeks following the opening of Tír Gan Éan in the village last month.
“We feel that Doolin is well serviced by high quality accommodation as it is but what these two new hotels are doing is bringing in something that bit different to the centre of Doolin,” continued Mr Burke.
The building was designed by Liscannor architect Alex Russell who attempted to blend the local scenery with a modern design.
“Alex has paid particular attention to the region and location that we have and created a street style building with various different levels and using a lot of local materials and local stone and tradition style street lighting,” said Mr Burke.
“With Fitzpatrick’s Bar anchoring it on one side and Hotel Doolin on the other side we are offering two different styles – with a traditional bar focusing on the local people on one side and the hotel on the other which will be really contemporary and modern focusing on bringing in tourists.”
The 17 bedroom hotel is expected to draw much of it’s customers from the Irish market and will be aiming at a four star standard.
“With the way the business is going there has been a lot of speculation over the last few weeks, about tourist figures and a lot of talk that they are going up and down, but I feel that Doolin should remain strong,” continued Mr Burke.