Dromoland Castle to spend €5m on wages to retain staff during closure for upgrade

The five-star Dromoland Castle resort in Co Clare is to spend €5 million on wages while retaining all permanent staff on the payroll during a six-month closure of the hotel to facilitate a €55 million upgrade ahead of the Ryder Cup next year. The castle hotel closed on Monday to allow for what general manager Mark McSorley described as “the beginning of a significant programme of redevelopment and enhancement”.Joe Hughes, the resort’s chief financial officer, confirmed that all permanent staff laid off from normal duties will be retained on the payroll during the closure to May 2027.He said the cost to Dromoland of paying the wages to the staff concerned would be “circa €5 million”.READ MOREHe said “some staff will be deployed to The Rine Hotel (a sister property), some to the Fig Tree and Golf Club, some working for community organisations such as Obair, and some will be retrained”. [ Dromoland Castle secures planning permission for 25 more bedrooms ahead of Ryder CupOpens in new window ]The upgrade includes the addition of 16 bedrooms in the east wing of the castle, the conversion of 13 stables into accommodation and the addition of new food and beverage outlets.A planning report lodged with Clare County Council stated that “the timing of these works is driven by the Ryder Cup’s return to Ireland in 2027”.McSorley said the resort’s 18-hole championship course will remain open, while the Fig Tree restaurant on the resort grounds would also continue to trade. Ahead of the upgrade, Dromoland Castle Holdings Ltd this year issued 110,000 ordinary shares, raising €21.72 million.The temporary closure coincides with new accounts lodged by Dromoland Castle Holdings Ltd showing that pretax profits last year increased by 43 per cent to €2.99 million. This was on the back of record revenues, which increased by 9.5 per cent to €36.6 million.Numbers employed fell from 472 to 454 last year, though staff costs rose from €13.54 million to €15.1 million.The revenues included the performance of the recently rebranded Rine Hotel – formerly The Inn at Dromoland.McSorley said the average room rate at Dromoland Castle at peak season last year rose to just under €900.Room income increased by 8.5 per cent to €19.99 million while food-and-drink turnover rose by 11 per cent to €12.6 million. Golf and other income came to about €4 million.“2025 was a very positive year,” McSorley said. “Growth reflected higher castle occupancy and room rates, alongside improved Rine Hotel occupancy.”McSorley said current-year revenue was up 3 per cent, although costs remain under pressure. “In addition, we will be trading two less months with the closure,” he added.