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One of Northern Ireland's biggest hospitality businesses has bought a hotel and a golf course for a combined £28m.

The Galgorm Collection has taken control of the Roe Park golf resort near Limavady and the Galgorm Castle Estate near Ballymena.

It intends to invest a further £22m to upgrade both properties over the next five years.

The Galgorm Collection's core business is the Galgorm resort near Ballymena. Its other properties include The Rabbit in Templepatrick.

The most recent accounts for the Galgorm resort show it made a pre-tax profit of £6.6m on turnover of £36m in 2023.

The business is owned by the Ballymena-based Hill family.

Colin Johnston, Managing Director of Galgorm Collection, said: "We are delighted to welcome both Galgorm Castle Estate and Roe Park Resort to the Galgorm Collection family.

"These are two iconic properties with strong legacies, and we are committed to building on their successes. "

The Roe Park Resort is a four star hotel with its own 18 hole golf course.

The Galgorm Castle Estate is primarily a golfing venue with a championship course which has hosted events like the Irish Open.

The deals were welcomed by Economy Minister Conor Murphy who said: "The investment very much aligns with my economic plan of delivering good jobs and a regionally balanced economy where economic development is felt beyond our main urban centres.

"This kind of investment helps ensure that the benefits of tourism are felt across the north, supporting long-term growth and prosperity."