Having been owned and operated by the Doherty family for the past 46 years, Lisdoonvarna’s Royal Spa Hotel, a venue synonymous for just as long with the performances of singer-songwriter Christy Moore, is being offered for sale as a going concern.
The hotel, which has 12 bedrooms, a bar, cafe/dining facilities, along with a function room with capacity for up to 200 standing or 160 seated guests, is being offered to the market by agent Sherry FitzGerald McMahon at a guide price of €1.25 million.
Commenting on his long-standing association with the Co Clare hotel, Moore said: “So many great memories garnered over 45 years since I first played a gig at the Royal Spa Hotel in Lisdoonvarna. Back then I was singing with the band Moving Hearts … it was a great night in a thronged hall. It was to be the first of numerous gigs played in that great venue.
“I also rehearsed and gigged there with Planxty, with The Trad Outfit and with The Compañeros, and across the decades I wrote and recorded many songs in the Royal Spa including Lisdoonvarna and Joxer, my work blessed by the power of the local, sacred and sulphuric spring waters.
“I attended many great gigs there by artists as diverse as Luka Bloom, John Martyn, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Ronnie Drew, Natalie Merchant, Stockton’s Wing, The Stunning, De Danann, Bagatelle, Eddi Reader. Wonderful nights were spent there before, during and after gigs. I’ve stayed a hundred nights or more, with the best of accommodation, hospitality and top scran.”
But while the Royal Spa is arguably best known – among music aficionados at least – for hosting Christy Moore, the hotel has been welcoming visitors to Lisdoonvarna for generations. The hotel’s own records trace the property deeds to 1832, while the building is included on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and is recognised for its architectural and social significance. The hotel was developed originally alongside Lisdoonvarna’s emergence as a Victorian spa destination, when visitors travelled from across Ireland and further afield to experience the recuperative benefits of the town’s mineral-rich waters.
The hotel extends to a total area of 1,051sq m (11,309sq ft), and comprises 12 guest bedrooms at present. There is potential, according to the selling agent, to increase this room count through the conversion of a number of currently vacant rooms into an additional four to five en suite bedrooms, subject to planning permission.
The property has 16 dedicated car parking spaces to the rear and is located a short walk from a large public car park. Significant refurbishment works were carried out in the 1990s, including extensive roof improvements.
Commenting on their decision to sell the Royal Spa hotel, the Doherty family said: “When we took over the hotel in 1980, it was in a very poor state of repair. Over the years we have enjoyed renovating and sensitively restoring it to its original character. We have met some wonderful people along the way, both customers and staff. Now it’s time for someone else to put their stamp on this historic property as we look forward to our retirement.”