Report - Reendesert Hotel and Ghost Estate - BallyLickey - March 2018

[Bugsuperstar]

We passed this place on our way home from spending a few days around west cork last year, its nothing amazing and the place has seen way better days. I've had a look online and cannot find any information about the hotel apart from the agents sale listing. It seems that there isn't much interest and the site looks to have been abandoned for a good few years. The location itself is stunning and its surprising that it has stood vacant and dead for so long.
Literally next door is a small development of 6 houses called Reendesert Court, also abandoned and one of many "Ghost Estates" to be found in Ireland. I'll get to that at the end. I decided to put them in the same thread as they are so close and neither really warrant a report of their own but i thought some people might find it interesting.

Reendesert Hotel

You know its getting desperate when the old leaflets make the most interesting pictures...

After Roger Whittaker had stolen my soul with his piercing demonic gaze we moved onto Reendesert Court

Goodbye / safe home

Reendesert Court

This small housing development is built on the waters edge with immediate views of the head of Bantry Bay, and a beautiful ruined castle on the grounds behind. The scenery is unreal and its a surprise they stand empty and looking very sorry for themselves. There are 6 houses all in varying degrees of completion, but all include a high, arched window that leads out onto an upstairs balcony where the views could be appreciated. It seems the development was abandoned in 2006 and none of the properties were ever sold. It is difficult to pin down a firm reason for this however the most commonly cited reasons put out there are a mixture of the 2006 economic downturn, spring tides and high winds causing flooding and the difficulty of getting insurance.

In 2011 the site was valued at over a million euro and I'd say AIB would quite like their cash back however its not looking hopeful.

Thanks for looking
​

 

[cunningcorgi]

Always thought it was unusual that nobody has done anything with this place, especially in the last few years.

Knocking it down and rebuilding in a less 50's / 60's style might be a goer as it isn't exactly in a desolate location between Bantry and Glengarriff so always plenty of passing traffic with the Wild Atlantic Way gubbins.

Used to be a good disco / nightclub there on a Sunday night back in the 1980's (good for 1980's West Cork that is). Last I heard of it before it closed was it being used as accomodation for asylum seekers.

The ghost estate has always been rumoured to have had interesting ownership and backing.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

I agree there. It’s in such a great location and the boom is back. It’s odd that the site still sits abandoned.

If it was knocked and rebuilt I’m sure the place would make some serious money.

I’ve heard the various rumors surrounding the financing etc of the ghost estate, I just couldn’t find any evidence to back it up. I came to the conclusion that it is just one of those cool stories that you find around these sort of sites.

Thanks for the reply man, I didn’t know that about the asylum seekers and I imagine the Sunday night discos could get wild ha.

 

[westernsultan]

Regarding the empty houses it has been found that the water table report was wrong and so they flood
Regarding the hotel it is believed that fighting broke out between the inmates [sorry asylum seekers] and the chef causing it to close

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Regarding the empty houses it has been found that the water table report was wrong and so they flood
Regarding the hotel it is believed that fighting broke out between the inmates [sorry asylum seekers] and the chef causing it to close

Where did you find this information please?

 

[Yorrick]

Where did you find this information please?

I saw some self styled "rumours" on those points in the local rag but couldn't see anything solid to back it up.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

I saw some self styled "rumours" on those points in the local rag but couldn't see anything solid to back it up.

Likewise. I couldn’t turn up anything solid and I’m not one for believing the local papers. For example according to the Irish times and RTE news I should currently be without power and being ravaged by storm Hannah however I’m sat in my garden having a cup of tea in the sun.

 

[Yorrick]

I should currently be without power and being ravaged by storm Hannah however I’m sat in my garden having a cup of tea in the sun.

Haha

Looking on Floodmaps.ie there have been 3 reports of flooding in Ballylicky, at the points on this map. They were reported by residents. The first in 2009.

 

[westernsultan]

I saw some self styled "rumours" on those points in the local rag but couldn't see anything solid to back it up.

I found some archived reports on line but when I copied the links it said page not available. The archives date from 2009. I couldn't find any history of the hotel before 1990 viz - This hotel was open and busy up until the early 90's. In the mid 90's it closed and reopened shortly after. It lasted for a brief spell, and then the government leased it out as accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers who were a mix of former Russian countries and African war countries, and fights broke out especially regarding the food being served.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Haha

Looking on Floodmaps.ie there have been 3 reports of flooding in Ballylicky, at the points on this map. They were reported by residents. The first in 2009.

That’s some good detective work there. Flooding is definitely a factor I’m sure.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

I found some archived reports on line but when I copied the links it said page not available. The archives date from 2009. I couldn't find any history of the hotel before 1990 viz - This hotel was open and busy up until the early 90's. In the mid 90's it closed and reopened shortly after. It lasted for a brief spell, and then the government leased it out as accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers who were a mix of former Russian countries and African war countries, and fights broke out especially regarding the food being served.

That’s great. Thankyou. It sheds some light onto the place for sure.

 

[westernsultan]

Been searching companies listed in Ireland and newspapers. Seems the developers of these houses was Emerald Isle Properties Limited - registered in 2002 went into liquidation in 2013. Their company number is 361866. Some comments that the houses were built without full planning permission. The financial backing for the development was from AIB. Because of risk of flooding no-one willing to insure the houses so cannot even be offered as self catering venues. The debt is unlikely to have been transferred from AIB to the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) as it is below the requisite €20 million threshold. So who is behind the Reendesert estate? Skibbereen architect Liam Hazel worked on the project. It turns out Mr Hazel, together with auctioneer Margaret Ann Hazel, controled a company called Emerald Isle Properties Limited and no surprise the company was based in Skibbereen.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

Been searching companies listed in Ireland and newspapers. Seems the developers of these houses was Emerald Isle Properties Limited - registered in 2002 went into liquidation in 2013. Their company number is 361866. Some comments that the houses were built without full planning permission. The financial backing for the development was from AIB. Because of risk of flooding no-one willing to insure the houses so cannot even be offered as self catering venues. The debt is unlikely to have been transferred from AIB to the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) as it is below the requisite €20 million threshold. So who is behind the Reendesert estate? Skibbereen architect Liam Hazel worked on the project. It turns out Mr Hazel, together with auctioneer Margaret Ann Hazel, controled a company called Emerald Isle Properties Limited and no surprise the company was based in Skibbereen.

Interesting information. Thanks. I’d say they will eventually be knocked.

 

[cunningcorgi]

I don't think the flooding problem was too much of an issue with the houses.

A lot of Cork County at sea level floods at neap tide time - Coal Quay in the city centre and the cemetary road from the pier to the West Lodge in Bantry for example.

The houses are held within Emerald Isle Properties Ltd. (a shelf controlled by a solicitor) but like most things in Ireland, there is a right way of doing things, a wrong way of doing things and an Irish way of doing things.

If you dig deep enough, you'll find the houses as part of assets considered to be taken into the second tranche of NAMA. As @westernsultan said, on their own they wouldn't get NAMA'ed as the value is too low but taking the value of overall asset controling interest (not what the nominee solicitor owned), they were in the mix.

As Deepthroat said, follow the money.