Redcastle Hotel looks to add extra seating to popular bar

Planning permission is being sought to extend the Captain’s Bar at the Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel. 

RMI Architects has applied on behalf of Harcourt Developments Ltd and is seeking permission for the construction of a small, single-storey bar extension measuring 44 square metres. The proposed development would extend into the existing front terrace area and include a modest conservatory-style addition to the current bar. 

According to the plans, the extension would utilise existing external door openings to provide internal connections, with no changes proposed to current ground levels or accessible routes. All associated and ancillary site works are also included in the application.

The Redcastle hotel, which features 94 guest rooms/suites and can host hundreds of guests for receptions, outlined in the submission that the Captain’s Bar outdoor courtyard is largely underutilised during the colder winter months and periods of wet weather. As a result, the existing internal bar space can become overcrowded, particularly at peak times, as guests prefer to remain indoors. 

The proposed extension is intended to address this issue by providing additional sheltered seating. The development is expected to accommodate an extra 20 to 30 guests, easing pressure on the existing bar facilities while improving comfort for patrons during the off-season.

The Redcastle Hotel is situated on a historic estate that seamlessly blends 18th-century heritage with modern elegance. The lands were originally associated with Cahir O’Doherty, who died at the Battle of Kilmacrennan in 1601, before passing through several families during the Plantation of Ulster and the 19th century.

The estate later transitioned into hospitality in the early 20th century and was acquired by Buncrana property developer Pat Doherty, and was developed into the Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel in 1986, continuing the Doherty family’s association with the estate.

A similar application by Harcourt Developments has also been submitted for a 95 square-metre extension to one of the bar areas at the five-star Lough Eske Castle Hotel. 

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The planning authority is expected to decide on the extension for the four-star Redcastle Hotel by March 10.