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A SPOKESPERSON FOR the Aherlow House Hotel in Tipperary has said it is the job of the receiver to contact customers affected by its immediate closure last week.
They added that online criticism of the hotel in recent days has been “unfair” but acknowledged: “Obviously the brides are very distressed.”
Customers have hit out at the hotel, saying they have be “left in limbo”.
One told us: “It’s causing huge stress to the families involved. Thousands have been given to the hotel. We’ve not been told if it will be reimbursed or if the wedding will go ahead.”
And a representative of the receiver, Grant Thornton, told TheJournal.ie today that the hotel was not instructed to refrain from contacting customers.
“On the contrary, the receiver requested representatives of Auburn Hotel to contact all who had booked weddings,” it said.
Grant Thornton said it has been in touch with the majority of the 40-plus couples who had been planning their weddings at the hotel.
A spokesperson for the receiver noted that voicemails were left for anyone it couldn’t reach.
However, one of the affected customers told us they have still not been contacted and fear they have lost a deposit in the region of €2,000-€3,000.
The deposits, Grant Thornton says, are “entirely a matter for the parties who took the booking and the monies for same”.
Relocating the weddings
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Aherlow House Hotel has said that management are helping a number of couples relocate their wedding receptions.
They said that Kilcoran Lodge Hotel in Cahir and Clonmel Park Hotel have agreed to accommodate couples if their chosen dates are available. They said they will not charge affected couples a deposit.
However, an affected party told us they have contacted these hotels and it’s “completely untrue other hotels are honouring those deposits … you wouldn’t expect them to”.
Another couple impacted by the closure said they received the news through word of mouth on Wednesday, 16 days before their wedding.
Bride-to-be Carol Smyth said she and her fiancée will now have scale back their honeymoon after losing out on their €3,000 deposit.
Aherlow House Hotel encouraged her last week to move their booking to Kilcoran Lodge, she said, but the couple has since agreed a deal at the Anner Hotel.
Case-by-case basis
Laura Jones, sales and marketing manager at Clonmel Park Hotel, told us they are trying to accommodate couples as best they can and are “using their discretion”.
Some couples have paid in excess of €7,000, 8,000 or €9,000. That’s quite a massive task, to ask a hotel to cover that.
She said couples who have paid a nominal fee might not be asked to pay another deposit, but the hotel is dealing with this on case-by-case basis.
It’s a very emotional time for them so they don’t need the added financial worry.
Following a number of requests for comment, the Kilcoran Lodge Hotel said its manager was away for several days and unavailable to discuss the matter.
Additional reporting by Catherine Healy
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He looks like Rolf Harris
Ha ha, never eating KFC again,
And one more thing, IMO why they don’t sell curry sauce is beyond me, that gravy is a poor substitute for curry with ur chicken
Paul, You beautiful man, you’re completely correct.
Their food is nasty anyway like, but the lack of curry sauce is unforgivable.
Their gravy was often the only reason for going there. I recall many the time going to KFC and coming out with fingers burned like they were in a hot bath full of chicken, half cooked fries and MSG…. mmm…
I only tell you one time. Don’t fcuk me Eric……. don’t you ever try to fcuk me!
Denis o brien wins again, and gets a gagging order against any reporting of his corruption……….discusss
No. But do you like kfc?
DojiFone Denis has more spicy state secrets up his sleeves than Colonel Rolf has had chicken dinners!!
Looks a bit like Rolf Harris
Id consider going to KFC again if they place was clean & the chicken was hot!
Or if they started having nice food
A fella was telling me that his son had his head wrecked to take him to McDonalds so he told him “if you can spell McDonalds ill take ye” so the young fella said ” ah fu.k it we’ll go to KFC
Hillbillys in Cork after a feed of pints.Nothing KFC has to offer even comes close.
I’ve been to the Hillbillys in Fairview a few times. Decent stuff.
If I want to wrap my mouth around breasts, legs & thighs, I’ll have a night in. Cheers Colonel.
So how you getting on since ya moved back in with your ma?
Good now. Your sis feels right at home too.
Eat it in bray a few years ago and never again it was awful
Have to agree…absolutely revolting it was.However,you should try the one in blanch,it’s a bit better.
I hate parking in the retail carpark beside kfc. The smell is nice for about 2 seconds and then fell sick from the smell.
Hope you didn’t hit your head when you fell .
Anytime I go to McDonald’s its packed dont see it slowing down
Its nigella they need not a Rolf Harris lookalike.
The food gives you ebola side effects
No taco fries, no business.
I genuinely read that headline as “KFC is bringing back chicken” haha then I thought, that will never happen
That’s definitely Ronan Collins…….
Tiny little chickens killed, plucked, covered in spicy batter and crumbs and deliciously gobbled up.
Is it really wise to use someone who looks like a white plantation owner from over a century ago to promote chicken in a basket (or is modern alternative)?
All that’s missing is the salty melon balls!
Best of them, all unhealthy but KFC is the best tasting, some of their outlets need a good cleaning, the operators need to be better supervised by KVC, I walked out of Bundoron last year because it was not near clean, I have always found Athlone great
They kept him alive with 11 secret herbs and spices
Everythg in bray Is shttttt mc Donald’s Eddie spocrketts it’s un believable shtt
Go to Dundrum taste like the ritz
He’s looking alright for a man that was on ice for 20 years
They can resurrect the messiah for all I care. I still will never eat in that kip
Hillbillys pisses all over KFC… All der missing from der menu is the hot wings an unlike KFC they’re nearly too generous with the chips.. New one on Walkinstown roundabout is tops
He won’t be around long with a cough like that
HACCP comes to mind then, extra flavouring?
That’s one of the worst ads I’ve ever seen, worse than McD’s new Hamburglar. That eejit playing the Colonel gave me the creeps.
Looks like a creepy Rolf Harris
Eric fail KFC
Wasn’t he an awful racist?
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