Cooking again in Old Ground kitchen

It should be business as usual this Thursday for the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, which had to close its main kitchen for almost a week. A temporary closure order was issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on Thursday of last week according to details published on the authority’s website.

The closure of the kitchens came during the height of the Fleadh Nua festivities.

Allen Flynn of the Old Ground Hotel stated the decision was made to close the kitchen as a precautionary measure after drainage pipes cracked during refurbishment works.
“We expect to be up and running by Wednesday evening or Thursday at the latest. Our drainage experts have told us this issue will be solved by then in time for the bank holiday weekend,” he said.

When contacted by The Clare Champion about the potential of the kitchen at the hotel re-opening this Thursday, the FSAI stated that this would be a matter for the HSE inspectors.  However, a spokesperson for the HSE subsequently stated that our inquiry should be referred to the FSAI.

Mr Flynn explained, “We were doing a major refurbishment of the ladies’ toilets in the hotel and we had to go down three feet to fix a water problem. As a result of this, one of the drainage pipes under the hotel cracked and there was a breakdown.
“Working in conjunction with the Food Safety Authority, we made the decision to temporarily close our main kitchen. This was as a precautionary measure and we continued to work in conjunction with the local health authorities towards a speedy resolution.”

Mr Flynn said accommodation and bar facilities were unaffected by the works and were open for business with a limited menu at the bar. He praised the local community for their support to the hotel.
“The avalanche of support we got from people has been unbelievable,” he said.
Mr Flynn said in the midst of the chaos, many of the Fleadh Nua activites such as set dancing in the lobby and music continued as usual.