As the summer draws closer, thousands of people will flock to Tramore to avail of the summer sunshine (or what we get of it).
However, as people book their weekends away in the seaside town that has been popular with holidaygoers for decades, they may be met with one issue.
Tramore has had its fair share of issues when it comes to tourism throughout the years, particularly during the recession of 2008. Many of the Holiday Homes once rented to holidaymakers annually have been purchased by locals due to the current housing crisis, with hotels also meeting a detrimental fate.
Accommodation remains sparse in the town, with only two hotels serving the ever-growing population.
The Tramore Hotel and the Grand Hotel located in the town centre remain idle, with two fires engulfing the Tramore Hotel leading to its demise. The Grand Hotel has not been in use since 2014.
A derelict site notice was enforced on the Grand Hotel in 2018, by the then-owner Guo Qing Wu, however, this was revoked in a court ruling in 2022 to the point where it is no longer rendered ‘derelict’.
The notice from 2018 that was stapled to the main entrance to the building was removed earlier this week.
The hotel was previously owned by a Dublin Consortium, who purchased the property in the region of €2 million however the property was sold two months later to its current owners, Frisby Homes.
James Frisby informed WLR News in 2023, that he aims to offer a 100-bed hotel with a small spa and a restaurant and bar area, however, nothing has happened as of yet.
Local reaction
How do the residents and businesses feel about dereliction in Tramore?
Local business owner Catherine O’Sullivan who runs the popular Vee Café adjacent to the hotel says something needs to be done now.
“I remember the town when the Grand Hotel was open, people would flock around carrying their suitcases and bags. There was more hustle and bustle around. It was amazing.
“A lot of people come into the Vee here in Tramore and say we came down to mark our wedding anniversary as this is where we met, but they have nowhere to stay.
“The building is gone from bad to worse. Every day somebody comes in and asks us questions and they ask what is happening with the Grand Hotel and we are hoping something of scale will happen with the building, whether it be knocked and rebuilt or turned into something, that is what the town is hoping for. More accommodation, more retail, and a hotel of scale could accommodate that.
“We had seven years of the Grand Hotel when we opened the doors of the Vee. To say it brought us extra business is an understatement.
“Not just with my restaurant but everywhere around the town. If it were too early to check in, for example, they would pop over and spend money here. We miss it”.
Local Councillor Lola O’Sullivan has been following the developments of the hotel from a political perspective for years and says it’s unfortunate to see the condition of the once-prominent hotel.
“It’s awful. If you are on the beach and you look up you can see it looks derelict there are windows broken if you walk past it pigeons are flying in and out.
“Tramore is trying to be vibrant. We want to be a vibrant community and it is disappointing that nothing has happened.
“Unfortunately accommodation in Tramore is a huge factor. If somebody hasn’t got somewhere to stay, that is a big issue. If they are visiting, it’s usually for a day which is unfortunate because, without a shadow of a doubt, Tramore was the premier resort in Ireland.”
Local resident Susie Maddock says the hotel if revamped, could complement the newly pedestrianised town centre.
“It’s an eyesore. It brings down the whole look of the town and it’s not just the Grand Hotel that needs restoration.
“It’s unfortunate that the Grand has not been revived yet because there’s been so much money put into the new pedestrianised town centre.
“I think it takes the whole look off the place. We are trying to boost tourism and travel yet here we are.”
According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, the Grand Hotel “is of particular significance in the locality, attesting to the development of Tramore as a Victorian seaside resort in the mid to late 19th century.”
However, the building was extensively renovated in the 20th century, losing much of the original fabric.
The former Tramore Hotel (front) and Grand Hotel (back) lie idle in Tramore. Co. Waterford.
