Killarney hotel to repair town damage

The construction of a multi-storey luxury hotel in the centre of Killarney has resulted in damage to a nearby public road and…

The construction of a multi-storey luxury hotel in the centre of Killarney has resulted in damage to a nearby public road and building, Killarney Town Council has heard, from Anne Lucey, in Killarney

The Town Hall itself where the council meet has suffered structural cracks, the council was told.

A number of metres of public property has also taken by the Killarney Plaza Hotel, the council heard.

A list of 35 separate items have now been individually costed and presented by Killarney Town Council to management of the newly opened hotel.

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A spokesman for the hotel's design team, Mr Paul Murphy, consultant engineer in Killarney, said the Killarney Plaza Hotel had no problem with saying damage was done.

The company who owned the hotel were willing to carry out the repairs, he said.

There was a good working relationship between the council and the Killarney Plaza Hotel, he said.

However, the suggestion the company had built on public property was not true, he added.

The final cost to the hotel will be in the region of €400,000, it is understood.

A number of staff cars as well as the cars of councillors have been damaged because of falling cement and plaster during the construction of the six-storey hotel alongside the council headquarters, the council was told.

"I am not the only one whose car was damaged by falling plaster," Mr Michael Gleeson told the council.

He also asked if the cost of repair of staff vehicles as well as those of councillors and the public could be factored into the list.

There was strong criticism of "the serious damage" done to the Town Hall building by Mr Donal Grady, who first brought the problem to light, during the construction phase over a year ago.

"The town hall cracks are pretty bad. Go up to the top floor and it's frightening," he said.

On one occasion last year, Mr Grady said he was afraid to sit in the building because of the cracks which had appeared.

He asked the council meeting how the metres of public property the hotel had taken would be quantified and compensated for.

Specialist advice had been received by the council on ground settlements and other damage to public property surrounding the hotel.

The costs were notified to the management and the Killarney Plaza Hotel's advisers are drawing up their own assessment of the damage, said Mr Michael O'Leary, Killarney town clerk.

The Killarney Plaza Hotel is one of the more dramatic looking buildings in Killarney.

With a green copper roof and white exterior it is visible on approach roads to the town.