The Old George Hotel
Built in 1798 as a residence for the seneschal of the manors of Rathfriland and Gilford, Mr Edward Caddell, attorney, it is one of the oldest buildings in Rathfriland.
Appointed seneschal in 1799 by the Earl and Countess of Clanwilliam, he was an agent or steward in charge of their estates. The Countess outlived her husband and bequeathed her estates to her second son, the Honourable Robert Meade. In mid-Victorian days it was the town‘s main hotel, being more imposing than the Clanwilliam Arms in Church Square. With the advent of the railway, the closest station being at Ballyroney, it catered for commercial travellers from Belfast and Dublin as well as linen, wool and flax dealers attending the fairs and markets. Hunt balls and wine and dine parties were held there and the rear of the hotel was used for horses.
Known as the Commercial Hotel in 1856, it was renamed the Albert Hotel in 1865, reverting to the name Commercial Hotel in 1870.
Since 1881 it has been known as the George Hotel or the Old George, having been run by a number of families over the years. In 1975 it was reopened by Charles McCrum later passing to Gordon Shaw in 1979. The Shaw family made renovations to the hotel, retiring in 2019. The building was sold in 2022 and is now in private ownership.
