The reason there was no service station was because of the cunt of an entrance/exit set up there is from it on the Abbeyleix/Portlaoise road. Not sure how thats been addressed since, but that was the reason it was refused in the past, was an awful black mark against it. Not a fan of it, but you’re right, its come on hugely in the last year or so.
The Hotel is very popular as a meeting venue, and there’s a leisure centre there also so it gets custom for both those reasons. I would agree about how or who the fuck would stay in it.
I actually had reason to stop in the Tipp Town Plaza recently. It was late on a Sunday evening and was surprisingly busy. Never underestimate the Irish appetite for shit food (I had the 5oz Bacon Double Cheese Burger, with curry chips and a coke).
He’s some business man all the same. As a young lad, I worked in a Supermacs for a few summers. He was down once when training in some people for a new franchise opening in the area, and he was as good as any of the lads on the grill.
After the 2016 AI semi or final, he was inside in the O Connell Street branch in Dublin (which I think is one of the ones he owns) clearing the tables.
A shrewd operator. I seen him in action in his hotel one day. Schmoozing folk at the bar and bought them all a drink. Not one of them had seen a gym in their life. Next thing they all order food. You just knew that one day, with the genius of the two Joes behind us we were going to win the All-Ireland. I’d say he’ll be aiming for the double next.
