By Catherine Shanahan,Irishexaminer.com

Copyright irishexaminer

HOSPITALITY is in the Mackesy DNA, from pulling pints in Cork city centre pubs of yore, to welcoming guests to Robin Hill, a four-star retreat in Cobh.

“My grandfather opened Mackesy’s on Oliver Plunkett St back in the 1920s (now the Voodoo Rooms) and The Vineyard (on Market Lane) was in the family too,” says Deirdre Mackesy, proprietor of Robin Hill, a glorious Victorian guest-house on a hillside in Cobh’s Rushbrooke, once home to nobility, later a rectory, and currently a Fáilte Ireland-approved four-star B&B and holistic treatment centre.

Deirdre fell in love with Robin Hill when it was in the stewardship of Colin and Teresa Pielow, a couple with a track record in transforming historic properties, who applied their expertise to restoring and repurposing the listed Rushbrooke property. During their five-year tenure in the early naughties, they established Robin Hill as a guesthouse, with an acclaimed fine-dining restaurant and a basement wine cellar that gained legendary status.

“I used to go there to eat and I just loved it,” Deirdre says. When the Pielows embarked on global adventures in a campervan, Deirdre bought the property from them and worked hard to add a few more stars to its rating.

Overtime, bedrooms were refurbished, sanitary ware was upgraded and the subtle touches Fáilte Ireland looks for were perfected. The upshot? A four-star rating for Robin Hill – a healthy endorsement for anyone considering taking it on as a commercial venture.

Robin Hill’s linkage with business is part of its more recent history. It started out as the private residence of a family of notables, namely, the Rushbrookes, headed up by Lord Admiral Rushbrooke, a prominent figure in the British royal navy, whose family name became synonymous with the area. Designed in 1866 by architect Henry Hill, it’s a distinctive home with some wonderful period features and an eye-catching Gothic Revival porch.

The Rushbrooke ownership ended in the 1950s when it was sold to the Church of Ireland and became a rectory — commonly known as The Parsonage — until the early 1970s. It subsequently came into private ownership and has operated as a guest house for more than 25 years, with holistic therapies also on offer during Deirdre’s 20-year stewardship.

“A lot of locals come here for spa weekends,” Deirdre says, adding that she gets visitors from all over the globe at the height of the tourist season, many of whom have a historical connection to Cobh, dating back to the era of mass emigration from its quays. These days, quayside arrivals are cruise liners from April to October, with more than 100 visiting the seaport town this year.

Robin Hill is ideally configured for guests, with six en suite bedooms on the upper floor and a handful of reception rooms on the ground floor. Original features and rich decor make for elegant surroundings.

High ceilings and tall windows ensure lots of natural lights.

“It’s a fabulous house and it could be turned back into an amazing private residence” Deirdre says. A family looking for intergenerational living/au pair accommodation might find what they are looking for at Robin Hill as it comes with a recently refurbished two-bed apartment with a tiny courtyard (access via main house or externally), as well as a one-bedroom wooden garden chalet with galley kitchen, available to guests as pet-friendly accommodation.

The setting for the entire package — main house, apartment and chalet — is a tranquil 0.6acres of mature, terraced gardens, with a glasshouse and that most favourable of southerly aspects, fringed by trees on all but the harbour-facing side.

The grounds have played host to plenty of parties and intimate weddings, Deirdre says.

She admits to feeling “mixed emotions” at the thought of selling her home, but says it’s time for a new chapter and an opportunity to pursue the things she’s been putting off for years.

She’s leaving behind “95%” of the furniture, including antiques, and taking only those items that have a sentimental value.

Adrianna Hegarty of Hegarty Properties is selling Robin Hill.

“It’s a magnificent period property offering breathtaking views of Cork Harbour,” Ms Hegarty says, adding that it presents “a rare opportunity for investors or entrepreneurs looking to acquire a Grade 2 listed heritage house in a desirable location”.

“There are a number of potential options at Robin Hill,” Ms Hegarty says, “including continuing to operate it as a thriving business or to explore new business opportunities.”

“There’s the option also of converting it into a private home or apartments. Or you could look at further development or expansion,” the agent says.

Ms Hegarty brings Robin Hill to market with an AMV of €1.2m and is expecting interest from the US and European markets, as well as from relocators from Dublin.

“I think we’ll see interest from someone who would like a boutique hotel or to live in a fine Victorian home,” the agent says.

Location is on Lake Road, noted for its upmarket homes. West of Cobh town, Cork city is a half hour drive away, or you can travel by bus or rail, or take the ferry to Passage West. Robin Hill has parking for 10-plus cars. It also has a garage and storage at basement level.

VERDICT: If it’s good enough for an admiral….Robin Hill was once a gracious family home and could be again. It’s also a ready-made commercial opportunity.