Finally! Say goodbye to the Corrib Great Southern

JupiterKid

Incidentally the Corrib Great Southern building - now thankfully torn down - would have been 50 years old this year as the hotel originally opened in 1972.

Now if only they could sort out that other eyesore former hotel building of a similar vintage, the former Ard Ri in Waterford...

Stevolende

Looks like what was left on teh 1st of February was the staircase unit. Is it still up. & the front part of the lobby.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118573440#Comment_118573440

Thanks Stevolende. End or an era.

That roundabout in the 2nd pic will be removed in time as well.

Stevolende

yesterday, so the back section is leveled but has all the rubble still there and teh bit closer to teh Dublin road still has its shell up but being worked on.

Struck me yesterday that if there was asbestos there don't they normally have tents and things up, like a containing dome trying to make sure there is no dust spread. Not sure why that doidn't strike me earlier, All of the deconstruction has been in open air thaht I've seen. & there are residences immediately outsides the hotel grounds .

Paddico

so whats the latest here? A new hotel?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119094039#Comment_119094039

Nothing is planned yet afaik. Doubtful if a hotel would go in there imho

Stevolende

A nice neat pile of rubble?

Truckermal

Awful pity it was left get so dilapidated as it was a fine spot back in the day.

RobAMerc

isnt this all happening now as it has gone past the 7 years ownership rule and can be sold on without CGT ?

An incentive to let land go idle and dilapidated with no benefit to the local area at all.

I heard some new upscale apartments no ? Superb views ( when the clouds lift )

Stevolende

Probably bound to be.

I would love to see a bus/coach hub for things going out of town. Trying to think of shops in the immediate area and I guess there are a few within about a 10 minute walk. Would like an independent convenience shop too though.

& some way of tidying up the road system around there. Not sure if anything new has been done there since the residential areas to the East of the city were expanded. So it is stil set up for a lower amount of traffic . Would have been very good if the garda station was built about 10 feet back from where it is so the road had some hope of widening. I think there is one specific corner of the building that would make that difficult, that should have been built with things like that in mind. I thought most large towns had some form of stopping point for its outskirts and taht all hinges on one bus stop and layby that I don't think are up to the task.

But I'm sure town does need another expensive set of flats. Orr is it just about to get a load of those a little further down where it's currently green

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119173183#Comment_119173183

Ya the Garda station is a strange one. Still loads of room to rectify this when one looks at an aerial view if some land is CPO'd from GMIT when the roundabout gets removed, why GMIT do not provide a proper set down and drop off bus area here all these years is a strange one. Am sure there is funding available for this if they gave over some of the land for it.

For context, regarding the RAB, see below for the proposed changes with the bus connects project

Further details at the link

https://www.bcgdublinroad.ie/

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119175081#Comment_119175081

Loads of room for bike lane "bypasses" on all 4 arms here. Left on left. They have one here at the Tuam Road junction inbound: https://goo.gl/maps/b6MubTJjSP4wLyNt6

Joe Don Dante

a statbucks and a Vodafone shop penciled in to go in there

Stevolende

I'm glad they recognise the need for the city to have another coffee shop. Not sure how we've survived so far without one.

THough Starbucks is the kind of resource one would want from a coach/bus hub. Would prefer an independent but not sure how many of those there are and if they would get a look in.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119177786#Comment_119177786

The poster you responded to is a WUM. Take no notice.

Mrcaramelchoc

wow i learned to swim there many many moons ago.nice hotel in its time.

Paddico

Used to have the College balls there 30 years ago.

Very fond memories

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119266901#Comment_119266901

I was at a Christmas party there as recently as 2005.

What was it's demise anyway?

Was the ownership overstretched with other assets during the 2008 crash and it got repossessed?

It's closed in the Google Street View picture of March 2009.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119266968#Comment_119266968

Ya know there was a massive economic crash in 2008?

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119267330#Comment_119267330

Obviously

But that's what I am wondering about.

What was so bad about the situation surrounding this hotel that it went from being a well established business to being shut never to reopen again and eventually knocked.

Plenty of hotels were hit by the car ash but got back on their feet.

Was there no one around to buy it for dirty cheap and reestablish it ?

It's not like a celtic tiger era property or ghost estate that was built in the wrong place and was never viable.

This place was a landmark.

Robbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119266968#Comment_119266968

Gerry Barrett bought it in 2006 for development and was obliged to keep it open for 1 year from the date of purchase. He shuttered it in 2007 and then, nearly at the same time, the tide went out on his empire. It went into NAMA in 2009-10.

NAMA offered it to GMIT for €3.75m, the Comers picked it up for €3.5m in 2013. Since then, the usual Comer development strategy has been employed but nobody seems to care because they throw a few coppers at Galway United.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119304198#Comment_119304198

Ok so, the whole idea was to develop the site pre crash anyway, and the crash just beat them to it.

Thanks for that.

Robbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119304408#Comment_119304408

I'd say the chances of it being developed as residential in the short term are slim as well because (a) the track record of the Comers and (b) the expiry of SHDs. Probably another decade of nothing to look forward to until it's somehow foisted upon the local authority.

JupiterKid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119304587#Comment_119304587

It should be CPOed by the city council on the basis of nothing being done to develop the site - it is essentially a derelict site - the vacant site levy/tax should also apply here.

No landowner or developer has the right to hold onto such a prime development site for so long with no benefit to the local community.

Galwayguy35

It would be great if the Comers now made a move on that other eyesore they own out in Portumna.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119335174#Comment_119335174

Such a pity Super Mac did not buy it that time!

Galwayguy35

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119337183#Comment_119337183

There was a rumour Al Hayes was going to buy it before the Comers stepped in but I'm not sure how much truth was in it.

Its a pity what happened because it wa a nice hotel and the town is a draw for tourists when its right beside the Shannon but there is nowhere for them to stay.

TheRiverman

I sense reading the posts here that the Comers are not very beneficial to their home county.

Galwayguy35

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119338348#Comment_119338348

They buy property and just leave it sitting there for years.

The council talk of fining them if they haven't made a move to develop the building they buy but to a billionaire a council fine would be like throwing a grain of salt in the ocean.