Roscrea group plead for Minister to intervene on Racket Hall's future

Roscrea's Racket Hall Hotel has been closed to the public and repurposed as emergency accommodation for a year since January and a local group are concerned the facility may never return to the hospitality and tourism business. 

Roscrea Community Action Group have contacted the new Fianna Fáil Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Immigration, Jim O'Callghan, pleading for him to intervene after the owners of the former hotel applied to recategorise the building.

The group informed the Minister the community is concerned that the owners of the hotel have lodged a Section 5 declaration to change the purpose of the building from a hotel providing direct provision to an International Protection Centre and that works are underway to increase the accommodation capacity.

After a 10-week long angry protest outside the hotel located on the outskirts of Roscrea and adjacent to Roscrea Golf Club, the group said they wish to avoid a repeat of the "anger, frustration and protests that surrounded the initial takeover” and saw the Garda riot squad deployed in Roscrea.

The group expressed what they feel is the predominant understanding in Roscrea that the facility would return to use as a hotel and is being used in an emergency capacity to provide accommodation. 

Last week RTÉ's Radio One 'Drivetime' show featured a two part series exploring the community's feelings a year on from the protracted protests and large march through the streets of the heritage town.

Roscrea, who's future post-industrial lifeline was proclaimed by many elected representatives to lie in tourism and hospitality, is now bereft of a functioning hotel and many people, including the local Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern for the town's once budding tourism product.

Seamus Browne, Chamber President, pointed out that Roscrea currently has only nine en-suite rooms available for tourists and that even if the resurrection of the Damer Court (Grant's Hotel) on Castle Street under a new 'community model' is successful, it won't bridge the divide left behind by the loss of the Racket Hall and it's almost 50 high quality rooms.

A detailed report, which cost €150,000 to perform and the results of which are expected this month, will reveal if the future of the town centre hotel, which closed over a decade ago, could feasibly be rejuvenated and returned to business is much anticipated in Roscrea.

Roscrea Community Action Group have sent a letter to new Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan, highlighting their concerns about changes at Racket Hall.

The group informed the Minister the community is concerned that the owners of the hotel have lodged a Section 5 declaration to change the purpose of the building from a hotel providing direct provision to an International Protection Centre.

The group say part of the building is undergoing works to increase the accommodation capacity.

“You will be aware of the volatility of the situation amongst the community as a result of the loss of our only hotel and the manner in which the takeover took place. In addition you'll also be aware of the current concerns regarding the number of IPA's residing in various centres in Roscrea”, the Action Group said in their letter.

“The last government admitted to it's failings in our town and it's people by taking over the town's only functioning hotel. In the aftermath, that government gave public assurances that a town's only hotel would never again be taken for use in this way.

“Therefore, we wish for this new government to not make the same mistake. We need current leaders to honour those assurances in relation to changing this premises from a hotel to an IPA centre”, Roscrea Community Action Group said, calling on the Minister to intervene.

“We do not want to lose this hotel. It was the understanding of the townspeople that the takeover of Racket Hall was a temporary change of purpose, with a short-term contract to an immediate problem. We need this not to change”, the Action Group said.

They also requested the government's Community Engagement Team to better communicate with the people of Roscrea to provide some clarity.

“We wish to avoid a repeat of the anger, frustration and protests that surrounded the initial takeover”, Roscrea Community Action Group said in their letter to Minister O'Callaghan.