Kathriona Devereux has inherited a small hotel on an acre of land in Clogheen, Co. Tipperary.  That’s good because, at the moment,  she lives in a tiny house with no garden.   The problem is, that tiny house is in Cork where she lives with her young family.  So, what should she do?  Keep the hotel or sell it?  Kathriona has assembled a ‘jury' of experts, family and friends to help her decide what to do with Clogheen.

“Vee House” was run by Kathriona’s grandparents as a successful concern in the 50’s and 60’s when Clogheen was busy.  They had bank clerks, salesmen, a vet as well as tourists as paying guests.  The house also had a collection of retired guests - a retired Guard who had a passion for chewing-gum and a retired teacher who helped the children of the house with their homework.

By the time Kathriona came to visit as a child on weekends and for holidays, the hotel guesthouse was closed but unchanged.  A great place for a child to play in.  There was a small bar as well as sinks in all the bedrooms.   When Kathriona’s grandparents died, her Uncle Bill lived in the house.  He died 4 years ago and, in his will, he skipped a generation leaving his house to Kathriona.

The house has huge emotional value to Kathriona - all those memories from hers and her mother’s childhoods.  Also, it’s the last link her family has to the village of Clogheen.  But, what other value does it have?  What’s its monetary value.  Clogheen is now a bypassed village.  If Kathriona decided to sell, how much could she expect to get for a 10-bedroom, 3-storey house on an acre of land in Tipperary?

Or, if she decided not to sell and to move to Clogheen with her husband and 16-month old son, what kind of life could she have there and how could she fund the upkeep of such a property?

So many questions, all boiling down to the one:  “What to do with Clogheen?"

Produced by Kathriona Devereux with Ronan Kelly

First Broadcast Saturday 6th August 2016 at 1pm.

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland. Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries.