Dromoland Castle Hotel wants to add 13 new rooms and other facilities ahead of Ryder Cup in 2027. Photograph: Laurence LambrechtThe five-star Dromoland Castle Resort has unveiled plans for “significant upgrades to its hotel and grounds”, including a cellar speakeasy bar, lakeside sauna cabins, new bedrooms, a restaurant and bar extension – and a new roost for the protected lesser horseshoe bat. In her 46-page report, Ms Donnelly says “the timing of these works is driven by the Ryder Cup’s return to Ireland in 2027”. As part of phase one, Dromoland Castle Holdings Ltd is seeking planning permission to convert stables into 13 additional bedrooms, the installation of three sauna huts on a lake island accessed by a footbridge along with an enhanced wellness area. On the conversion of the stables into 13 visitor rooms, the planning report states that an ecological assessment of the site confirmed lesser horseshoe bat activity within the stables building.
