One of Donegal’s most historic hotels is set to reopen with the creation of up to 30 new jobs in February.
The Foyle Hotel on Main Street in Moville on the Inishowen Peninsula was first opened in the 1800s but closed in around 2008.
The seaside town has suffered economically but is set for a fresh injection of life with the reopening of the new hotel.
An application for a new seven-day license for the premises was brought before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court today.
Developer and co-owner of the hotel, Mr Philip Bonner told the court that himself and his brother had spent up to €1 million on the refurbishment of the hotel.
He said they hoped the hotel will be completed in February and will create between 25 and 30 jobs.
At present, up to 35 people are employed in the refurbishment of the hotel.
The court was told that a management company has already taken on an initial three-year lease to run the hotel once it opens.
Barrister Ms. Constance Cassidy told the court that the current license on the hotel lapsed in around 2008 when the hotel got into trouble.
She stressed that there were no endorsements on the license before it lapsed.
She applied to have a new license, in the name of Mr. James Reilly from Newport in Co Mayo, to be transferred to the hotel on Moville.
Mr. Reilly gave evidence that his license is set to expire on his premises on September 30th, 2018.
He said he was giving his consent to the extinguishment of his license if the license is granted to the Foyle Hotel.
The licensing application is to come before the court again before the hotel is due to officially open in February.
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