Tullamore hotel that was demolished in 1970s features in vintage TV clip

A former Tullamore hotel building that stood for more than 170 years before being demolished in 1974 has been featured today in vintage television footage shared by the RTÉ Archives.

The Grand Canal Hotel building which was located at St Brigid's Place in Tullamore dated back to 1801 and after initially being used as a hotel it went on to accommodate local priests, serving as Parochial House or presbytery.

However, by the early 1970s, the writing was on the wall for the Georgian building and it was featured in an episode of 'Hall's Pictorial Weekly' on RTE 50 years ago today - March 24, 1973.

The report by Frank Hall stated that the building "may not be the brightest gem in Ireland's architectural crown, but it is certainly a fine, imposing building erected when the canal system was in full swing".

Mr Hall said money had been raised for the construction of a new parochial house in the area, and it appears the hotel was "doomed for demolition amid an uproar of protest".

You can watch the clip from Hall's Pictorial Weekly on the RTE Archives site HERE.

The building was duly demolished in September 1974. A front page article in the Offaly Independent at the time stated: "A Tullamore landmark for over 170 years is no more: The Parochial House on the banks of the Canal was demolished last week.

"It formerly served as a Grand Canal Hotel and dated back to 1801 when it was built at a cost of £4,399. At that time Tullamore was the terminus for the canal and the building continued in use as a hotel until 1962 when the first railway came to Tullamore."

The report went on to state that the date for the demolition of the building "had been a closely-kept secret, just in case those who had originally opposed the controversial decision to demolis the historic building - one of the oldest in the town - might stage a last-stand protest".