One of the country’s best known five star hotels, Francis and John Brennan’s Park Hotel in Kenmare is to remain open in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview, John Brennan confirmed that following a staff meeting the business will remain open.

The hotel had 36 paying guests staying at the start of the week but Mr Brennan said: “This isn’t about making money - it is about looking after the people who have looked after us for many years - our staff."

He said: "It would be much easier to close the doors of the hotel and say that we’re closed but that would have a horrendous impact on the mental, physical and financial well being of our staff.”

The co-presenter of the Brennan brothers’ ‘At Your Service’ TV show said they were going to lose money "hand over fist".

He said: “No one wants to be out of work.”

The consensus of the staff meeting was for the hotel to remain open.

Mr Brennan said the hotel industry also has a duty of care to the tourists in the country.

“They can’t be just dumped out on the street,” he said.

He said that it made no sense for hotels to close when shops can remain open.

“You cannot close every hotel in the country for the next six months. "

He said: “My preference is to struggle on.”

He added: “The industry has never faced a challenge like this and this is worldwide. The cash burn will be phenomenal and no business can survive without cash. No hotel will make money this year.”