The History of the Shamrock Court

The Shamrock Court Motel on Old Route 66 was purchased by the late John and Rose Weiland in 1953, relocating from the Chicago area. The motel and property purchased was originally about 8 acres, and was part of a development called Shamrock Village owned by the O'Reilly family. The Shamrock was built around 1947/48, and was originally owned and operated by the Dodd's for about 5 years.

The Weiland's oldest son John Jr. (Jay) was already part of the family when moving to Sullivan. Eventually two other sons were born, Guy in 55', and William (Billy) in 57'. Together with their three sons they operated the Shamrock Court as a motel. The Weiland’s along with the Shamrock were one of many victims of progress. In the 1960’s the section of Route 66 in front of the motel was upgraded to accommodate interstate travel. As a result, interstate 44 bypassed the motel, cutting off direct access to the motor court from the highway. This forced the Weiland’s to change their business model as travelers found the location of the Shamrock too inconvenient. In the early 1970s, the 8 exterior units were converted into 4 two room efficiency apartments designed for long term rental. The property was operated in this manner until John Weiland died in 2009.

The property was in the Weiland family for 67 years until Roamin Rich Dinkela and his wife Christina purchased it in April of 2021. Their vision is to make the Shamrock a tourist destination for Route 66 travelers to enjoy once again.