The Co Wicklow pub formerly owned by convicted murderer Catherine Nevin has lodged a planning application for a tourism-related development adjacent to the pub at Brittas Bay.
Jimblue Ltd, owned by businessman Tadhg Kennedy, has lodged plans for shepherds’ huts and a camper van/glamping park comprising 57 separate pitches along with a reception area, offices and shop all located to the rear of Jack White pub at Ballyna Park, Brittas Bay, six miles north of Arklow on the main road to Dublin.
The late Catherine Nevin was jailed for life in 2000 for the murder of her husband, Tom, at their pub, Jack White’s on March 19th in 1996. Mr Nevin was shot dead in the kitchen while he was counting the St Patrick’s weekend takings.
In January 1998, Catherine Nevin — who died in 2018 aged 67 — sold the pub for €620,000. Kerry businessman Tadgh Kennedy subsequently purchased the pub for a price close to €2.5 million in 2003.
Mr Kennedy has lodged the plans for the camping facility on the five-acre site after the business showed strong profits in its most recently filed accounts. Accounts for the 12 months to the end of January 2022 show that Jimblue recorded post-tax profits of €370,451.
The profits were more than a fourfold increase on the figure for the prior year during which the pub was shut for most of the time due to Government Covid-19 restrictions.
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At the end of January 2022, the firm’s accumulated profits stood at €2.86 million. The firm’s cash funds increased to €123,873.
On the Covid-19 impact, a note attached to the accounts said that the virus “has resulted in a negative impact on the sales generated for the company for the first quarter of the financial year”.
“However with the help of government supports, the overall position for the company has increased compared to the prior period,” the note said. “Jimblue Limited has continued to trade for the majority of the financial year and has not seen a significant effect on its core trading activities in the months that the company has traded.”
Staff costs more than doubled at the company from €377,157 to €825,650 as staff numbers increased to 38.
