Aftermath
The property was placed on the market with the condition that it could only be used for tourism or leisure activities, which limited its potential sale price.[3] The site went on sale in September 1995 at an asking price of £600,000 and was due to be sold to a Northern Ireland consortium in January 1996 for £475,000.[2][13] However, by February 1996 the Irish Times reported that the sale had fallen through.[14] A Cork-based property developer, Mr P J Hegarty, then bought the location in April 1996 for £442,500.[15] In 1997, the site was sold to Butlin's Mosney owner Phelim McCloskey for £380,000.[2][5] McCloskey developed a robotic dinosaurs exhibit which closed after less than a year.[2]
A European Commission investigation was due to report in 1997 but as of 1999 had not been completed. In 1999, McCloskey obtained planning permission for 30 short-term holiday apartments on the site. Permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála, controversially over-ruling a Waterford County Council decision to reject an original proposal for 36 apartments.[16] In 2000, Ambience Catering Limited, led by Vince Power, purchased the site for "just under £50,000" and developed a 20,000 square feet music venue named South with a capacity of 2,200 guests, at a cost of €3 million.[2][17] The venue opened in 2001 but closed soon afterwards. Celtworld Limited was dissolved on 15 July 2005.[6]
The site was sold in May 2006 to Volute Properties Limited, who received planning permission for a mixed-use development with Dunnes Stores as anchor tenants.[2] This proposal fell through and the building was demolished in 2008. By 2020, it had been redeveloped as an Aldi supermarket.[18][19]
