Former hotel site in centre of Tipperary's largest town is 'in the right hands'

A local politician has stated that he has every faith in the developer who purchased the former Clonmel Arms Hotel site.

Cllr John FizGerald said he was happy that the site was in the right hands. He said the builder is a local man who hasn’t sat on his hands in relation to other projects.

Before its demolition the building had been falling into the street and on top of parked cars, said Cllr FitzGerald. There had been fires in the building and it harboured anti-social behaviour. However, he added “where the future is, none of us really know”.

The issue was raised by Cllr Niall Dennehy at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District, when he looked for an update on the site, where the former hotel building has been reduced to what he described as “a pile of rubble”.

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Cllr Dennehy said he had already suggested that Tipperary County Council would enter into a public-private partnership to develop the site.

“We need it to happen and it needs to happen fast,” he said.

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Sarsfield Developments, the latest owners and developers of the former Clonmel Arms began demolition work on the site just over two years ago, in November 2023.

It was understood at the time that the site would be redeveloped as a hotel.

The former hotel closed 20 years ago and the building had fallen into a state of disrepair and dereliction.

Planning permission for a 114-bedroom hotel on the site was granted six years ago.
Dining, bar, conference and function facilities, as well as a basement car park and leisure centre, were included in the plans.

Cllr Tom Acheson said they all wanted to see it developed. The developer, who was very well intentioned, had bought the Clonmel Arms in good faith and had a history of delivering on projects.

However, he added that “everything is extraordinarily expensive” since Covid and the outbreak of war in the Ukraine.