History

The Committee of Merchants of Cork commissioned young Cork architect, Thomas Deane, to design and build the Commercial Rooms on the South Mall.

The Committee of Merchants then requested Deane extend the original building along Pembroke Street to serve as a hotel and coach-yard.

Frederick Douglass, born in Maryland, was an escaped slave who devoted his life to the abolition of slavery. He greatly admired Daniel O’ Connell and Fr.Theobald Mathew.

The “A Christmas Carol” author Charles Dickens visited Ireland in August 1858 as part of a book tour that also included England and Scotland. Even in his own time, Dickens was a celebrity.

he Charitable Ladies and Gentlemen Take a Hand. The Cork Examiner reported on 15th March 1888.

After negotiating the Irish Free State Treaty in 1921, Michael Collins spent his last night on earth at the Imperial before he was shot on that fateful day.

On June 24th 1961, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco who, along with their children, stayed with us in Cork as part of the Royal Visit to Ireland.

Cork was not originally on President Kennedy’s itinerary, but he decided in June that he would like to visit.

In the mid-1970s the LGBTQ+ community began to meet in The Imperial Hotel on Sundays. The hotel offered a safe and secure place to meet.

In July 1998, the Imperial Hotel was purchased by the Flynn Family, from Hanover International UK.

An investment of €10 million by the Flynn family to redevelop the property into a luxurious hotel was undertaken.

Almost €1 million was spent on upgrading and renovating the Imperial Hotel, in preparation of its 200th anniversary in 2016.

The Imperial Hotel celebrates its 200th anniversary. This beautiful four star property has long been regarded by many as the ‘Grand Dame’ of Cork city.

€400,000 investment in iconic Imperial Hotel in keeping with synonymous old world charm.