THE OWNERS of the hotel on Tory Island have decided not to reopen for Easter because of the uncertainty surrounding the ferry service. 

 

Patricia Doherty, owner of Tory Island Harbour View Hotel, said they will be reviewing the situation after that.

 

Ms Doherty said they do not want their guests getting into difficulty and they cannot guarantee that they will get back out to the mainland. Easter represents the start of the tourist season on Tory and the hotel normally opens six months of the year. 

 

The islanders are rejecting the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s proposal for the 44-year-old Queen of Aran vessel which is due to come into effect on April 1. 

 

Ms Doherty said: “This is going on for too long. This was announced last September and now it is six months on. The Department seem to be dragging their heels.”

 

Ms Doherty, who owns the hotel with her husband Sean, said they need a decent and faster boat that does not take an hour for the tourists to get out to Tory. The islanders want a boat that takes in the region of half an hour. 

 

“We want tourists to be on the boat and off the boat as quick as possible for a comfortable journey. An hour journey is too much.” she said. 

 

Ms Doherty said the ongoing uncertainty was resulting in a loss for their business as they are still paying their overheads. She said the hotel’s insurance doubled this year and they still have to pay all the utility bills associated with running the premises.