Over 40 jobs lost as Castlebar’s Welcome Inn Hotel closes

JOB LOSSES The Welcome Inn Hotel, which closed down this morning.

Over 40 jobs lost as Castlebar’s Welcome Inn Hotel closes

Neill O’Neill

AFTER serving vistors and the people of Castlebar and Mayo for the best part of six decades, The Welcome Inn Hotel closed its doors this morning, Thursday, February 18, after entering a voluntary liquidation process.
It is understood that over 40 full- and part-time jobs will be lost as a result. The news comes as a huge shock to the community in Castlebar and beyond, where the hotel’s owners, the McHugh family, are held in high regard.

Unwelcome news
Coming just a week before the general election, The Welcome Inn’s closure must be unwelcome news for a Castlebar Taoiseach attempting to drive home a campaign message of ‘Let’s keep the recovery going’.
The hotel on New Antrim Street was a popular venue over the years, and it has long been considered a flagship property in the county town. It has played host to countless weddings and social and family occasions, as well as political rallies and events. It was also a base for a lot of community and charity organisations.
The Welcome Inn had a popular bar and bistro and a large function room on the first floor, as well as a purpose-built night club.
Many high-profile events have taken place in the venue of late, including a large Fianna FΡil party gathering last Friday night. Two general-election candidates, Lisa Chambers and Rose Conway-Walsh, held their campaign launches in the hotel in recent weeks.