This petition was established well over a year ago, when Mellissa Whyte Gass was in ownership of Lawless Hotel.

Concern started when the hotel was gutted of it's contents, including photographs belonging to the community and sold. Along with concern of unsociable activity taking place. There was also concern of how dilapidated the building was getting, what an eyesore it was becoming on our beautiful award winning tidy town. Lawless Hotel as we know dates back to the seventeen hundreds & it is passionately felt by some that this history in our village should be preserved. 

So a push for the council to compulsory purchase the building was instigated. Two well advertised meetings were held last year, 2023 in relation to the hotel and it gained little traction. 20 to 30 people turned up at the meetings, along with many local councilors. 

We got nowhere with Wicklow Co. Co. they refused to even discuss Lawless Hotel at meetings as they said it was privately owned. Many suggestions were put forward at the meetings apart from trying to get a compulsory purchase from Wicklow Co. Co.

Crowd funding for the community to purchase the hotel was one suggestion, a community co-op style hotel was another, along with many other ideas. However the man power, willingness and work needed to even start such a projects wasn't there unfortunately. Some tried to engage with the then owners Mellissa Whyte Gass. But to no avail. Several meetings were arranged but she would cancel at the last minute. She did send messages to say she had no intention of selling and had hopes to re-open the hotel for hospitality. A far fetch idea given the state of the hotel after being gutted and receiving no maintenance. 

In 2023 camera's and barriers were installed at Lawless Hotel. Then in late 2023 word came through that the building had been bought and a couple of new companies established using the Lawless Hotel, Aughrim address. The company names are; Aughrim River Operations Ltd and Aughrim River Hotels Ltd. Aughrim River Hotels Ltd. was established on the 9th of May 2023 and Aughrim River Operations Ltd was established on the 15th of September 2023.

Aughrim River Operations has a registered address at: 11 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 FW54. 

Both companies had 4 directors, Brian Brady, Jack Brady, Jamie Deasy and Brian McDermott. They also have a registered addressed at The Avon (Ri) in Blessington along with a registered office in Dublin. They are also directors of many, many other companies.  To name a few the other companies were; Pastures New Ltd, Event Fuel Ltd, Frisky Promotions Ltd, Give2Go Ireland Ltd. But there are many many more. Brian McDermott is named as the secretary of both companies. One of the Brady men (or at least they gave their name as Brady and declared they were one of the new owners) were on site while the barriers & cameras were being installed. They told a local resident that their plan was to establish a country house hotel once again. But apart from this to anyone's knowledge no communication has been received from the owners to anyone within the community in any shape or form. 

On the 15th of March 2024 Aughrim River Operations Ltd filed their first (B1) annual return. Aughrim River Hotels filed their B1 in Nov 2023. 

Back some time ago, not sure of the month, skips were parked in Lawless car park and workers were on site clearing the rooms etc.. of their contents. Old broken furniture etc... 

On Monday the 29th of April work vans and work men were working on cleaning up the car park of Lawless Hotel. A group of people gathered made of up of locals and members of a political party called 'Ireland First'. They quizzed the foreman and 'asked' him to leave. Which he agreed to do. A meeting was then called for 7pm that same evening. Attendees of that meeting were calling for the owners to get in touch with the community of Aughrim and let them know what the plans are for our beautiful hotel that lies in the heart of our rural but beautiful award winning village.

Communication is needed and needed fast. Its believed a committee has been established to try and establish communication. 

This particular petition has run it's original course. Lawless is now under the spot light for different reasons.

Thank you to everyone who signed it and helped in some small way towards raising awareness about our historic hotel. 

It's hoped communication is established with the owners very soon. It's hoped no violence or divides take place in our village. It's hoped Lawless's Hotel will be returned sooner rather than later to it's former glory of a hospitality establishment serving the community of Aughrim and the many tourists that the County of Wicklow attracts but hasn't got the hotel bedrooms to cater for.  It's hoped Lawless's Hotel will soon stand tall and proud in our village once more. #MakeLawlessGreatAgain