Sean Kelly has given his support to a proposed hotel development by Johnny Ronan in Co. Wicklow which will be aimed at attracting cycling tourists, according to a report in The Sunday Independent. Two-time Rás winner and former Irish international Philip Cassidy has also provided his support to the application.
According to the report, Kelly has written a letter of support to Wicklow County Council for the proposed development by the Ronan Group Real Estate (RGRE).
The proposal is to develop a 141-bedroom hotel in the grounds of St Valery’s House Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. The hotel will be seeking to attract cyclists and other sportspeople to the county south of Dublin.
As part of his submission, Kelly has stated that he will locate a number of his trophies and other memorabilia from his professional cycling career at the hotel.
It’s understood that Philip Cassidy who won the Rás Tailteann in 1983 and 1999 and competed for Ireland at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics has also provided his backing to the project.
The application for the 15,000 sq. metre hotel was made to Wicklow County Council in recent weeks. St Valery’s House is a protected building that dates to about 1810 and the hotel would be four storeys over a basement, with 160 car parking spaces, according to the proposal.
Johnny Ronan, who is a friend of Kelly’s, is an enthusiastic cyclist who regularly rides on the continent and has undoubtedly recognised the potential for growth of cycling tourism in the country.
The proposed hotel development would be near to where Ronan’s former business Treasury Holdings, previously developed the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel where the 2009 Tour of Ireland started.
Nigel
Yes! Paul Honan
New coffee stop ..
All we need is Wicklow county council to surface the roads to Spanish standards then they have a cycling industry that is 365 and the spend will be in BnBs pubs, shops, coffee shops at a local level. Use the w200 as a big red ticket event on closed roads pitched to a international audience. The scenery is there, the business,s are there, the international market is there only the roads need a resurface.