50 new jobs as Forster Court Hotel set to reopen for Galway Races

The Forster Court Hotel is to reopen in time for the Galway Races, creating 50 new jobs and adding 50 beds to a pinched high season market.

The hotel has undergone a major refurbishment in all 50 bedrooms with the bar and lobby also getting a light overhaul.

The manager of the Connacht Hotel, Wayne Neilon, who will also run the Forster Court, said it will open under the same name on July 28, at the end of the Galway International Arts Festival and two days before the annual racing festival in Ballybrit.

“It will mean a lot for the city having 50 extra beds. It also means 50 new jobs. We’re nearly finished the recruitment,” he stated.

The Forster Court Hotel was evacuated – around 80 guests were staying at the time – on July 1, 2015 after a water tank on the top floor of the building burst, causing it to flood. It never reopened.

Months earlier, Bank of Scotland said the hotel was worth €2.75 million as it secured a €14.7m judgment against the then owner, developer and publican Ronan Lawless.