Former Roosky hotel 'an eyesore'

The former Shannon Quay West Hotel in Roosky — described as an “eyesore” by residents — may soon be placed on the derelict sites register.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sean McGowan, who tabled a motion at  a recent meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District, said the hotel, which had been “the focal point of Roosky and was extremely busy before the financial crash, is now an eyesore in the village, with fencing up around it. The local community would love to see the hotel up and running as a hotel once more. They are annoyed that it is closed and left to fall into a state of disrepair for the past 15 years.”

It is understood that Leitrim County Council is now considering a proposal to place the former hotel on the Derelict Sites Register.

According to the council, “whilst the curtilage of the hotel has become overgrown and unkempt in appearance, the structure itself would not satisfy the criteria for being ‘derelict’. There are no elements for instance of the front elevation with the exception of the timber front to the balcony which require painting due to the finishes of the structure. There are no broken doors and windows evident from the front and side elevations. The extensive fencing in place around the perimeter of the hotel, whilst possibly unsightly, was as a result of two attempted arson attacks on the hotel in 2019 when a contract was entered into by the owners to provide accommodation for international asylum applicants.”

It is understood that the property is the subject of a legal case before the High Court, lodged since 2019, which has a date for hearing in January of next year.