Louis Fitzgerald supports family in purchase of the Gondola pub
By Brendan Grehan
LOUIS FITZGERALD, the publican and hotelier, has supported his son and nephew in the purchase of the Gondola pub in Newcastle.
Last year, the Gondola was on the market for a price in the region of €800,000.
The pub was marketed by John P Younge auctioneers as a mixed-use redevelopment site on one acre.
Mr Fitzgerald told The Echo: “My son, Barry and my nephew, Eugene Spellman, had a pub in Donadea, Roche’s. I was an investor in that, but it has been sold, so now my nephew and my son have bought the pub in Newcastle and I’m supporting it.”
Mr Fitzgerald said that Eugene Spellman will manage the pub, which they will rename Annie May. The names are an amalgamation of the names of Mr Fitzgerald’s mother and mother-in-law. His mother, Annie lived until she was 99 and May was the name of his wife’s mother.
The pub is the only pub in Newcastle and is on a development site.
Mr Fitzgerald say that they intend to develop a restaurant and lounge bar on the site. Further down the road they intend to develop some apartments on the site.
Newcastle is less than a 10-minute drive from the N7 and is close to Citywest.
Mr Fitzgerald stressed that this latest acquisition will not be part of the Louis Fitzgerald group.
The group comprises two hotels and a number of landmark pubs in the city centre including The Stag’s Head and Kehoe’s.
He also owns the Old Mill in Tallaght , An Poitin Stil in Rathcoole and The Laurels in Clondalkin.
In 2014, using backing from Broadhaven Capital and AIB, he refinanced €60 million of loans that had been acquired by Goldman Sachs from Anglo Irish Bank.
His children Barry, Edward, Louise, Niamh and LJ, all work in the business.
