Kilbrogan House

This elegant three-storey Georgian townhouse, built in 1818, faces out on to Kilbrogan Hill, a quiet, mostly residential street in Bandon town. In 1992 brother and sister Catherine and David Fitzmaurice bought it in a dilapidated state and, following sympathetic restoration, opened as a guesthouse in 2004.

You get the feeling that this listed house has changed little since it was built. At the back, a large lawn is surrounded by shrubs and tall trees and the stables, which have been converted into self catering accommodation, add to the olde worlde atmosphere.

Inside, a large hall is welcoming, with a polished wooden floor and a curving staircase leading up to bedrooms and a first floor sitting room a piano - there is also a drawing room on the ground floor for guests’ use, and a conservatory half way up the stairs at the back of the house.

Some of the bedrooms look out on to Kilbrogan Hill and the hills beyond the rooftops, others onto the gravel parking area and the lawn and trees at the back; all have mod cons such as flat-screen TV, broadband internet connection and hairdryer, but are elegantly furnished with antiques (including very comfortable beds with lovely starched cotton sheets), and interesting prints decorate the walls; well appointed bathrooms have full bath and power shower, and heated towel rails.

Blue and white check cotton napkins and tablecloth on the breakfast table give a cheerful country feel, and David is a trained chef, so you can look forward to a delicious cooked breakfast.

This is a lovely place to stay, and Catherine and David are great hosts, keen to ensure that their guests find all the best places to visit (and eat) during their stay in Bandon.