Áine Ryan
IT’S a bug’s life. Even government ministers have reached that conclusion. Although, despite the buzz, there wasn’t a bee in sight, when, in glorious sunshine, Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey opened Westport’s latest luxury hotel, shortly after 2pm last Friday afternoon.
“I am reliably informed this is one Five Star hotel that is not going to end up in NAMA,” Minister Dempsey said.
He beamed broadly as he ceremoniously booked-in the first guest to Ostán Fheithidí an Bhealaigh Ghlais – The Greenway Insect Hotel. Indeed, Minister Dempsey seemed unfazed by the fact it was a wiggly worm that was first to cross the red carpet, and not a glamorous Ladybird, as was the twitter on the bush telegraph.
Only minutes earlier, Noel Dempsey, with his carapace – aka helmet – twinkling in the sunlight had landed ahead of an army of multi-coloured cyclists at the new hotel located on the Greenway near the Quay.
Among the broad species of bi-pedallers was a beaming Deputy Beverley Flynn. Courtesy of members of the Westport Tidy Towns Committee, developers of the unique project, she checked out the facilities which impressively caters for the creepy-crawly needs of up to 2,000 different insects.
Whether The Greenway Insect Hotel would be suitable for political conferences remains a matter of conjecture. In the words of one insider who last night spoke to The Mayo News, it does have one key advantage. Aithníonn ciaróg, ciaróg eile!
