Portsalon Hotel?

Fanadfanad

I'm looking for a little help.

I am trying to do some research on the old Portsalon Hotel, in Fanad.

From memory, it was still open in the early 80's - at least the bar was. It also had some interesting history - murders, suicides, and ghosts.

It's long since been torn down and replaced with cottages (or holiday homes - or something). (Why are we insistent on tearing down building that might have some history???!!!!!)

Does anyone have any information on this old place? Are there any photos out there of it? I have done the usual search on the Interwebz and have came up empty.

Any help is appreciated!

mamakevf

Theres some pics and literature on the walls of the Stores pub and I think in the Golf Club house too.

Fanadfanad

Thanks - Any online that you know of? I'm nowhere near there now.

mamakevf

Sorry no, been trying online myself, but nothing coming up,
a trip to the library methinks.

irish1967

http://books.google.ie/books?id=lHn5g-sRmkcC&pg=PA255&dq=fanad+portsalon+hotel&client=firefox-a#v=onepage&q=fanad%20portsalon%20hotel&f=false

http://books.google.ie/books?id=tL8p8Lv2yEkC&pg=RA1-PA75&dq=%22portsalon+hotel%22&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a#v=onepage&q=%22portsalon%20hotel%22&f=false

http://books.google.ie/books?id=XYE2AAAAMAAJ&q=%22portsalon+hotel%22&dq=%22portsalon+hotel%22&as_brr=0&client=firefox-a

http://books.google.ie/books?id=ozsGAQAAIAAJ&q=%22portsalon+hotel%22&dq=%22portsalon+hotel%22&lr=&client=firefox-a

http://books.google.ie/books?id=JChVAAAAMAAJ&q=%22portsalon+hotel%22&dq=%22portsalon+hotel%22&lr=&client=firefox-a

http://cgi.ebay.ph/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310159320279

http://www.dia.ie/architects/view/898#tab_works

Fanadfanad

Irish1967 -

Thanks! That's better than I found. At least there is a photo!

I wish now I'd taken some pics when I was a kid - but you know how it goes - it was a big hotel that was going to be there forever!!

I can't believe that there are no other pics out there!

mamakevf

Nice one Irish1967.
That is a very early pic on ebay, as there was a tower added to the RH side later.
Heading to the stores pub tonite, I'll see what's there.

Fanadfanad

Yes - that is the tower that was said to be haunted. I found one other pic - well, found in not the right word - there is a link to a dead website, but the thumbnail is still there. Here are the search results - 3rd one along - see the tower!

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0geu9.duNxKE6IAep1XNyoA?ei=UTF-8&p=portsalon%20hotel&fr2=tab-web&fr=yfp-t-155-s

Next task - I need to find somewhere with that photo cached.

I'm interested to hear what you find , mamakevf

Fanadfanad

The Stores used to be Rita's, right?

irish1967

I really really hate not being able to find something that you know has to be there somewhere. So I kept digging !



















SITE :http://www.ihpc.ie/ihpc/Main/Home.asp

irish1967

After a little bit of fiddling about... here's one for you

irish1967

and another....

Fanadfanad

WOW!! That is the bomb!!! Excellent shopping, Irish1967! Thank you!:D

Impressive - what are your search tips? Found any written stuff about it?

irish1967

Planning permission for site in 1999

Mention in tourist guide

Highways & Byways in Donegal & Antrim See page 177 - 203

http://www.libraryireland.com/Jaunting-Car/Port-Salon-Dunfanaghy-1.php

http://digital.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=livn;cc=livn;q1=portsalon;rgn=full%20text;idno=livn0211-10;didno=livn0211-10;view=image;seq=0607

http://www.achestofbooks.com/sports/golf/World-Of-Golf/Three-Famous-Irish-Links-By-W-J-Macgeagh-Part-4.html

Edit
As soon as i post I find more.
http://www.thepeerage.com/p26800.htm#i267992

mamakevf

Sorry for not getting back quicker
Here's what was in The Stores Pub (Yes , you are correct, it was Rita's)





Basically more of the same, sorry no literature on it.
But I'll keep searching.

mamakevf

Found out that it was owned by Colonel Barton, of Greenfort house and this is what I have found so far by going the Barton route.
http://www.thepeerage.com/p26800.htm#i267992
http://www.donegaldirect.ie/ws_business_details.aspx?BusinessID=1768&Region=Milford&BusinessNm=Greenfort+Gardens&Section=
At the bottom of this page.
http://chestofbooks.com/sports/golf/World-Of-Golf/Three-Famous-Irish-Links-By-W-J-Macgeagh-Part-4.html
http://www.airfield.ie/past_present.html
http://www.golfinginireland.ie/fairway.ie/site/Donegal/Ports4.htm
http://www.archive.org/stream/bycelticwatersh00cgoog/bycelticwatersh00cgoog_djvu.txt

a wee bit more info for you, but I know it's not quite there yet, but it's a little step further and I will keep searching and maybe we'll hit the jackpot.

Fanadfanad

I knew about the Barton connection. I'm also trying to find out (though it's hard on the web), to whom the hotel was actually sold when it left the Bartons, but so far, nothing.

So, from what I can gather, Lt. Col. Baptist Johnston Barton married Kathleen Maude de Hamel, they had a daughter (who I can't find out of she is alive and 100 yrs old or dead), but in any event, that was the end of that line as she had no children.

It's a fun search, but it can be frustrating!!!

irish1967

Typical.. we search and search and then a few weeks later this pops up !!

http://digital.nli.ie/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/glassplates&CISOPTR=13476&CISOBOX=1&REC=2

mamakevf

Found out a few names connected to the hotel and I'll try and post them as I think the order they come in.
1.Barton,s
2.Carver (supposedly related to the Bartons)
3. John Costello(e?) Owned a few hotels
The Wicklow Hotel-Dublin?
Powers Hotel Dublin
Royal Hotel Dublin
Silver Springs Hotel - Cork.
4.Italian owner(name unknown) supposedly also owned the old Milford Bakery at a time.
5. Kelly. The only thing I found out about these people is that they own the first newish house on the left(on the cliff edge) as you leave the hotel and head towards the Golf club.
6. Pauric McGinty, I think from Ballybofey, and the builder of the building now standing.

Would welcome any correction on these.

mamakevf

Going on the name Carver, he was John Ingarsby Carver and he married the 2nd child of the Bartons, Evelyn Mary Alice Barton.
They married in 1910, had 3 children before he died in 1918.
She died in 1969.
http://www.thepeerage.com/p26805.htm#i268046

jillzebee

Seeing the old photos of the hotel really brought back memories.Spent a lot of our summers playing in there in the 80s then down to ritas for a football special in the snug.It has all changed now but still a nice getaway with beautiful scenery

Domscard

Here's the 1911 census return (household form) for the hotel http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002112711/ Baptist Johnston Barton is the Head of the Household, with all his resident family and servants. As it's after 1910, Evelyn Mary has already left home. The other returns for the buildings are also available on the site - fascinating stuff.

Durnish

golly, is that The Majestic,
from JG Farrell's brilliant novel,
Troubles?

mamakevf

Durnish wrote: »

golly, is that The Majestic,
from JG Farrell's brilliant novel,
Troubles?

Please explain more.:)

mamakevf

Domscard wrote: »

Here's the 1911 census return (household form) for the hotel http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002112711/ Baptist Johnston Barton is the Head of the Household, with all his resident family and servants. As it's after 1910, Evelyn Mary has already left home. The other returns for the buildings are also available on the site - fascinating stuff.

If you look above the Colonels Profession on the census form you will see in faded ink, Hotel Proprieter Portsalon?

Domscard

Here's the buildings return from the enumerator in the area in 1911: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002112705/
You can see there are several buildings, including the hotel and a public house. What was the hotel called at the time - was it the Portsalon Hotel then too? The townland seems to be Croaghcross in the DED of Greenfort.

mamakevf

Yeah seem's to have always been called the 'Portsalon Hotel' according to all the postcards and advertising posters.
It was there before the Golf course and was known more as a Tourist hotel/Hunting lodge

MartinMcK

I came across this thread by chance - as children we spent every summer and many weekends during teh rest of the year in Portsalon hotel from about 1962 to the mid 1970s. During that time it was owned by Ralph Carver, son of Evelyn Barton. Much of the family's wealth was tied up abroad, in Egypt and Sri Lanka where, as I recall, various of Ralph's uncles were involved in tea and cotton farming. They were unable to repatriate the money. He was more interested in running a hotel than making money; shortly before he sold it he realised that he had been paying rates for some years for water taken from a lough that his family owned. Ralph sold the hotel in the early 1970s. It was bought by Costello from Dublin who promptly alienated everyone by sacking the local staff and bringing in replacements from elsewhere. At that time the new wing was built (inadvertantly over a spring, but no-one felt inclined to warn the new owners!). A lot of people who stayed regularly in the hotel stopped doing so, although the large Scottish clientele (such as the Malcolms and the Gowdies who came every summer also stopped coming because of the increased intensity of the Troubles). Some, like us, began to rent the new cottages built by Rita. Grainne, the hotel cook, moved down to take over the restaurant beside Rita's. Miley, the head waiter who lived at the crossroads, retired (he had once worked in a hotel in London and was also the harbourmaster). Danny, the barman, opened a pub at the crossroads. Ralph died shortly after the hotel was sold and is buried in Tamney. The hotel had operated as such for many years, drawing clients because of the golf course. It was the setting for the British Open in 1903. I have hundreds of photos of the hotel and those staying at it taken by my father during the 1960s and 1970s and if there is any interest I can post a few.

mamakevf

Great bit of history there.
Old man living at the crossroads now is known as Patrick Miley, dont know if it's the same person or was the son of Miley.
I can find out though.;)
I live beside an old man called Danny, so I'll certainly ask him.

TJJP

Patrick is Miley's son, and he ain't that old.....

TJJP

And, while not related (hope that's ok), these are from Fanad too: