Demolition works begin on Tramore's 230-year-old Grand Hotel

Demolition works have officially begun at the iconic but long-idle Grand Hotel site in Tramore, after decades of inaction.

Plans to create a 40-unit luxury aparthotel from what was once a local institution in the seaside town were submitted to Waterford City and County Council earlier this summer, with works beginning last week.

The hotel itself was constructed in the 1790s and has remained vacant on Tramore’s Broad Street for the last 12 or so years.

In May this year, an application was submitted to Waterford City and County Council by Magna Capital Investments Ltd, acting on behalf of the developer Frisby Group, stating the proposal seeks to “regenerate a long-derelict and prominent site that respects the established urban character of Tramore”.

The planned works, which begun last week, will see an extensive upheaval of the existing structure, including the demolition of the ground floor extension, bay windows, and stairwells, although developers have said the aim is to work with the existing structure as much as possible.

Throughout the hotel’s 230-year-old lifespan it has gone through a host of changes, from operating under different names, like The Walsh Hotel and The Great Hotel, to financial fiascos.

One such case being its long-standing dereliction prosecution case in 2022, which involved around a dozen court hearings.