Arrest in Aughrim
A 30 year old male has been placed under arrest in Aughrim this morning. The arrest comes following an altercation between the man and construction workers at Lawless’ Hotel in Aughrim Village.
On Tuesday of this week, the detained man was recorded approaching a construction worker who had been deployed with his team to carry out works on the premises of the former Lawless’ Hotel. In a video which has been widely shared across social media, the construction worker can be seen being verbally abused by the man. At one point, the irrate man is heard shouting at the construction worker ‘Get out with your f***ing crew, get the f*** out, in the van, get out.’Â
A large crowd had gathered outside the premises following the discovery that work had commenced the previous day. Local election candidate, Darren McGovern of Ireland was also present during the stand off and encouraged the contractor to leave the area. Following chants from the crowd of ‘out, out, out’ and a continual barrage of intimidation by the unnamed man, the contractor agreed to pull his team ‘within the hour’. This was followed by a handshake from McGovern who appeared to put himself forward as spokesperson for the gathered crowd of concerned locals.
The arrest in Aughrim sees the suspect being held at a Wicklow garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 following his arrest for public order offences.
Lawless’ Hotel
The Hotel has been the subject of much speculation over the past number of years with most recent suggestions from the public being that it may be in the sights of the Department of Social Integration for use as an IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Services) Centre. The property had been closed since before the covid pandemic and media reports over the past few years have recorded multiple incidents of vandalism at the site.
The most recent incident is one of a number of issues over the last number of years that has brought attention to the landmark building. In fact, it could be argued that this closed hotel gets as much pr as many trading establishments.
In 2009, a fire which tore through the property in the early hours of the morning, manged to do considerable damage to bedrooms, kitchens and the ballroom.
The following year, 2010, the hotel was suffered flooding due to a surge of water causing the banks of the adjacent river to burst its banks. At the time, reports suggested that up to 20 inches of water sat on the floors in the function room.
In 2016, the hotel narrowly avoided flooding as water rose in all around the property which as spokesperson for the hotel at the time told The Bray People, ‘it was by the skin of our teeth’ that the building didn’t flood.
In February 2023, concerns were raised as sentimental items of historical value to the Village had been noticed for sale online via a used pub equipment sellers website. A number of the items up for sale had been donated to the hotel when it reopened following the fire and many were important items of heritage relating to the Village.
In July last year, the property again came into the spotlight following the purchase of the hotel’s Bar counter by the owners of Lo Crispin Tavern located in Alicante, Spain.
The Lawless Heron
On Monday, 29th April 2024, The Lawless Heron Facebook page was created and a statement read as follows:
One of the current owners, Brian McDermott met with the newly formed ‘Aughrim Concerned Community Committee’ on Wednesday 1st May to discuss his plans and allay fears about the intended use of the building. Minutes of the meeting were duly shared on social media and hard copies distributed to the local Post Office.
Although artists impressions have been displayed on the newly erected fence, a statement which was promised by Mr. McDermott to be posted to the Lawless Heron facebook page this afternoon has yet to materialise.
No doubt a food court in Aughrim would be a fantastic addition to the village along with being a draw for tourists in the neighbouring Towns. We await with bated breath the opening of Lawless Heron Food Court this Summer.
