Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel directors have purchased the 29-bedroom Woodenbridge Hotel and 40-bedroom Lodge in Wicklow.
The hotel becomes the second Irish property in the Fitzpatrick Hotel Collection after Killiney castle. Mark and Joseph Scott-Lennon’s uncle, John Fitzpatrick runs two boutique hotels in New York.
The new owners plan to honour the hotel’s history while bringing their commitment to service and hospitality
Woodenbridge Hotel has a long history and has claims to have hosted notable guests since 1608, making it by some counts Ireland’s oldest hotel. Before the building of the famous wooden bridge in 1691, it was first licensed as a coaching house in 1608, was one of the first inland stops for people walking or riding in from the coast. It featured in correspondence from Thomas Wentworth (Earl Stafford) to King Charles I in the 1630’s.
During the Wicklow gold rush of 1796, it was known as the Putland Arms Hotel,and run by the Bowland family, when gold was discovered on nearby Croghan Mountain.
Later guests included Scottish writer Walter Scott. Eamon de Valera spent his honeymoon there. TJohn Redmond gave his controversial speech in the field opposite in 1914,, urging Irish volunteers to sign up to serve the English King for the first world war.
The O’Brien family, who bought the hotel in 1993., added 12 bedrooms in 1996 and 40 more in the nearby lodge in 2004.
Mark Scott-Lennon, Managing Director of the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel said “our goal is to honour the rich history of the hotel, while bringing the Fitzpatrick family commitment to exceptional service and hospitality,” said We are excited to build on the hotel’s legacy and create new traditions that reflect our values and vision for excellence.”
Previous owner of Woodenbridge, Gerard O’Brien said “the Fitzpatrick family has built its reputation on strong family values which very much reflect our own and it’s with great pride that we pass on the keys to them today. We’re delighted that they recognised both the quality of our offering and the clear synergies between our hotels, ensuring The Woodenbridge becomes a natural extension of the Fitzpatrick family.”
