Au revoir
One of my favourite places in Dublin closed last week. The Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephen's Green is being refurbished and will not be open to the public for at least 18 months. The Marriott Hotel group is set to spend €40 million on the project, which include additional bedrooms and a cosmetic facelift. I guess The Shelbourne is a bit like Joan Rivers - it needs a bit of work now and then to keep running with the young ones.
I had intended to call in last week, but with one thing and another I forgot. The last time I was there was sometime around Christmas when I met up with my old pal Jason O'Callaghan, the former gossip columnist turned singer. As I downed the delicious Cosmopolitan cocktails in the Lord Mayor's Lounge, we were joined by Richard Kavanagh and publisher PJ Gibbons, who were busy discussing festive plans. I recall superb service from manager Elizabeth O'Neill, as always.
Apparently both The Shelbourne and Horseshoe Bars will remain intact, further to requests from regulars. I've always preferred the larger, brighter Shelbourne Bar to the pokey, uncomfortable Horseshoe - although many would disagree, I know.
With former guests such as John F. Kennedy, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duke of Westminister and James Cagney, it was the kind of place you could bump into anyone, and often did. Millionaires mixed with musicians, politicians rubbed shoulders with gangsters. I hope The Marriott group have the good sense to retain as much of it's old charm as possible.
