Plans for Ireland’s first gay hotel dropped. - from Pink News - all the latest gay news from the gay community

Plans for Ireland's first gay hotel dropped.

By Tony Grew • August 11, 2006 - 0:00

Earlier this year Axel Hotel Barcelona, the first urban designer hotel aimed at the gay community, expanded into Europe and America.

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Plans for a gay hotel in small town Ireland have been abandoned.

As PinkNews.co.uk reported last month, promoter Brian Berry had unveiled plans to convert a hotel in Carlow, saying:"In any establishment you can get complications and objections, but at the end of the day, no matter what objections I get, I'll continue."

Days before the Cosmo Brown's hotel in downtown Carlow was due to change hands, it has emerged that it has been sold to a heterosexual couple, who intend to give the venue a Gaelic sports theme.

Hotel director of business Edward O'Donoghue told The Mirror: ""It seemed like a good idea originally, but there also seemed to be a lot of people in the area against it. We did have a change of heart."

There was bemusement among the Irish gay community at plans to open Ireland's first gay hotel in a rural backwater of 20,000 people, 50 miles south-west of Dublin.

Dublin is the only area of the Republic of Ireland with a sizable gay community.

The hotel has been sold to Paul Lucey, who intends to run a hotel more acceptable to the local conservative residents, many of whom had objected to the planned 19-room gay venue.

Mr Lucey told The Mirror: "I felt that there was a bad vibe and, while I have nothing against gay people we decided to go with a more family-orientated pub."

Earlier this year Axel Hotel Barcelona, the first urban designer hotel aimed at the gay community, expanded into Europe and America.

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