Oriel House

This article is about the hotel in Ballincollig, Co, Cork. For the former CID Headquarters, Dublin, see Oriel House, Westland Row.

Oriel House (aka Oriel Court)is a hotel in the west end of the town of Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland. It was built shortly after the Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills which was built in 1794 by Charles Henry Leslie. In 1983 it was officially opened as a hotel by William and Angela Shanahan. The hotel recently redeveloped and opened in late 2006 after being bought in 2003 by Cork Luxury Hotels.

History

Construction

Charles Henry Leslie, a Cork banker built Ballincollig Gunpowder Mills in 1794. Oriel House was built shortly after this. It was not known as Oriel House until later. In 1804/05 the house and powder mills were bought by the board of ordnance. The deeds were signed on behalf of the board by Brigadier General Orlando, the latter having fought in the wars to regain Portugal from Spain. He later allied himself with England against Napoleon. Mr. Charles Wilkes, who was a superintendent in the gunpowder mills, seems to have lived in the house from 1805 to 1815. In 1834 the Gunpowder Mills were bought by Thomas Tobin of Liverpool. He married Catherine Ellis in 1835 and they moved in to the house. Catherine was a keen painter so Thomas built an oriel so that she could paint from inside the oriel, which is about 20 ft long (6.1 m) and 10 ft wide (3.0 m), and even has a glass roof to give maximum natural light. It wasn’t until after this it was called Oriel House. Sir Thomas Tobin was knighted in 1955 and was at this time employing about 500 people in his mills. During his years in Oriel House he always wore a velvet silk coat and a silk hat of bowler form. He died in 1881 and is buried in Inniscarra. After his death Lady Catherine moved to Albert House Mansion in London.

1881–1957

The house passed through a series of owners after this. In Guys Directory of 1886 Colonel W. Balfe of the 11th Hussars was listed as being in Oriel House. The 11th Hussars were in Ballincollig from 1884–1886. In 1893 J.McKenzie MacMorran was in the residence. In 1911 Lt. Col. Onslow R.F.A. lived there. In 1916 W. J. O Hara was living there. In 1922 the house was set on fire by the republicans but some local people cut the roof joists and saved the eastern part of the house. In 1925 A. F. Mac Mullen lived in the house and his son R. Mac Mullen was living there in 1938. In 1947 Mrs. Marie Louise Perrins (of Lea & Perrins fame) came to live there. She later married Noel Mahony of Blarney Woollen Mills. She was a very keen horsewoman. She moved out of the house, as she felt the road was getting busy and dangerous for her and her horses (1957). She moved to Greybrook House Waterfall.

1970–2003

The house was left to various people until William Shanahan and his wife Angela bought it in 1970. The house was in a state of semi deriliction at this stage. The Shanahan's had the foresight to see that it could be turned into a good business. Oriel House (the name having being changed from Oriel Court) was officially opened as a hotel in 1983 and was a family-run hotel. The house retained its old world charm whilst owned by the Shanahan family. They had the vision to use salvaged items (before doing so became a pastiche)to create the athmosphere which was unique, rather than out of a catalogue like many other manufactured bars and hotels. The front door to the cellar bar for instance, came from Cork City Goal in Sundays Well. The doors to the hotel were from the Savoy cinema in the city as was some of the seating used in the cellar area at one time. The counter in the Lounge of the hotel area came from a bank in the city centre as did the one in the small bar in the cellar area. Some of the tables came from Saint Augustins church. The copper cowls on the fire places were from recycled copper cylenders created by a local traditional travelling crafts man. The bedrooms were individually decorated with antique furniture such as beds from Kilkenny Castle, rather than the bland one style for all rooms used in the current hotel. Bill Shanahan was an engineer and he preferring to patch things up instead of investing piles of money in improvements which would have ruined the character of the place he had created. The cellar bar was unique^{[citation needed]} and is still regarded^{[by whom?]} as the best bar in Ballincollig, with the best pint, several years after its final closure. The Shanahans will be remembered fondly however, given their refusal destroy the character the bar and the genuine welcome given to patrons of the bar and guests in the hotel.^{[citation needed]} William Shanahan has ensured that the past history of the house will be remembered by giving some of the rooms in the house historical names, such as “ Sir Thomas Tobin Room”, “Lady Catherine Room” and “Orlando Room”. He will also be remembered for rescuing the house from certain dereliction and demolition on a very limited budget in a period of economic depression.

2003–present

Oriel House was recently redeveloped and opened in late 2006 by its new owners William and Angela Savage of Cork Luxury Hotels. It has undergone huge renovations and now houses a leisure centre, a swimming pool and a spa in its extension. While it is an undoubted improvement on the original, but many people in Ballincollig miss the old charm of the original and mourn the passing of the unique cellar bar. As the only hotel in Ballincollig it attracts many visitors.

External links

• Oriel House Hotel