West Limerick received a major boost this week with news that 300 jobs have been announced for Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort.
The jobs will be created before the end of this year, with recruitment for positions in management, catering, hotel and spa to begin in the next few months. The announcement was made on Monday by Minister for Jobs Mary Mitchell-O’Connor and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Patrick O’Donovan, and Ms O’Connor said that the new jobs, as well as 600 construction jobs during the refurbishment works, were a huge boost for County Limerick and the wider mid-west region. The new jobs will bring the total number of people employed at the resort to over 350.
Adare Manor was bought by JP McManus two years ago for a reported €30 million, and construction work and major refurbish-ment of the manor has been under way for the past year. Speaking on Monday, Minister Mitchell-O’Connor said: “It’s great to see the Adare Manor resort being redeveloped, given the importance and benefit of tourism to the region.”
Adare Manor CEO Colm Hannon said that a huge amount of care and attention had been taken to ensure that the renovations honour the building’s architectural heritage. Prior to closure for renovations, about 170 people were employed in a full-time, part-time and casual capacity at Adare Manor, and a spokesperson has said that workers who were made redundant at the time will be able to reapply for jobs at the newly-opened venue.
JP McManus also spoke last Monday, and he indicated his desire that the course would host the Ryder Cup in 2026. “I think we have the venue, I think we have the facilities, but it’ll need a lot of support apart from that to get something like the Ryder Cup,” he said. Regarding the development of the golf course by world-renowned golf course designer Tom Fazio, Mr McManus predicted that when it opens in September it will take its place among the finest golf courses in Europe.
The JP McManus Invitational Pro Am, which will host the world’s top golfers and Hollywood A-list movie stars and celebrities, will return to Adare next year. The Pro-Am is a major fundraiser for charity and in the past has raised more than €100m for charities across the mid-west region.