THE former owner of The Portaferry Hotel, John Herlihy, has died.
Mr Herlihy, who was in his eighties, ran the popular Co Down hotel, along with his wife Marie, for more than two decades. He passed away at his home in Portaferry on Sunday following an illness.
Alliance assembly member Kellie Armstrong, who knew Mr Herlihy through his work with Portaferry Regeneration committee, said he was a "warm, welcoming and very generous man".
She said Mr Herlihy was "very committed to Portaferry and full of ideas of how we could help the town".
"Although he had retired several years ago he still lived beside the hotel," she said.
"I found him very warm, so generous and very helpful."
The new owners of the hotel wrote on their Facebook page: "We would like to give our heartfelt condolences to the Herlihy family, (on) the sad passing of Mr John Herlihy on 25th September - former owner of The Portaferry Hotel. Mr Herlihy and his wife Marie ran the hotel for over 25 years, and were at the helm at the height of its success, something that we can only try to repeat."
The hotel is to be closed today as Mr Herlihy is laid to rest.
Funeral Mass is to be celebrated at noon today at St Patrick's Church, Ballyphilip, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
