Inquiry into Kildare hotel incident

The hotel function room where a ceiling collapsed on Friday night is expected to re-open by the weekend.

Some 14 wedding guests and staff in the Setanta House Hotel in Celbridge were treated in hospital for their injuries after part of the suspended ceiling collapsed in the Aisling Suite at about 8.30 p.m.

A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Authority said the authority had begun its investigation into the incident.

Last night, the hotel's operations manager was the only person still being treated in hospital for his injuries. He broke a hip in the incident and was said to be suffering from shock.

The other patients were discharged from Naas General Hospital and James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown over the weekend. Ambulance staff also treated a number of guests for minor injuries.

The wedding reception of Mr Mick Noone and Ms Joanne Smith was under way at the north Kildare hotel when the events unfolded.

More than 100 guests had just finished their meal and staff were clearing the tables when the ceiling collapsed at the top of the room. Guests reported hearing a crackling noise before chunks of the ceiling began to fall down.

The ceiling above the top table was worst affected, but the speeches had finished and most of the bridal party had left their seats at that stage.

A teenage disco was under way in the function room directly above the ceiling. The teenagers, who were uninjured, were all evacuated, as were guests at a second wedding in the hotel.

The hotel owner, Mr Seán McElvaney, said he was confident that this was a "completely isolated incident" and would not recur.

"The events on Friday night were most unfortunate and traumatic. I would like to send my sincere apologies to both wedding parties and wish anyone who was injured a speedy recovery," he said.

The hotel's structural engineers had been on site within hours of the ceiling collapse and inspected the entire building. The health and safety officer had also declared it safe early on Saturday morning.

The hotel was undergoing construction work, Mr McElvaney said, but this was unrelated to the incident.

Engineers on site said the ceiling was a secondary ceiling and not a structural component of the building so the incident was an isolated one, he said.

The Aisling Suite was sealed off, but the hotel was open on Saturday. It catered for two weddings with more than 300 guests.

"Repair work to the Aisling Suite is due to begin immediately and it will be fully functional by next weekend," Mr McElvaney said yesterday.