Kathriona Devereux's beloved Uncle Bill had died and left her a small hotel/guesthouse in the village of Clogheen, Co. Tipperary.
The building held very fond memories for Kathriona. She grew up in Cork but came to see her grandparents in the house every weekend and for Summer holidays. Even though, by the time Kathriona came to visit they had retired, it still had all the trappings of a small hotel and was a wonderful place for a small girl to play with her friends. There was a tiny bar with a hatch through which you could serve drinks into the upstairs lounge. All the rooms had sinks and numbers on the doors – a marvel at the time.
The inheritance came at a good time for Kathriona. She was living with her husband in a small terraced house in Cork with no back garden and the house in Clogheen has three storeys and is on an acre of land.
So, Kathriona was faced with a decision: Keep the hotel and move in or sell?
The decision wasn’t that easy to make – her life and work is in Cork and Clogheen is 45 minutes away by car. Also, the hotel needs some renovation work.
Kathriona decided to gather a ‘jury’ to help her make the decision – a jury of experts, family and friends.
The family and friends told great stories of the happy times they had in the guesthouse but also spoke of the constant hard work Kathriona’s grandparents put in just to keep the place ticking over.
The experts were local auctioneers who came in to value the house and contents. The value of the contents? Practically nothing. The value of the house and land - €30,000 to €50,000. The auctioneer explained that Clogheen is not an ideal location for sales at the moment.
Kathriona spoke to a childhood friend who had stayed in Clogheen to rear her family. “What’s it like here for a young mother?” she wanted to know. Her friend said it’s a fantastic place for children to grow up with a good school and playground right in the village. However, Kathriona’s friend did make the point that her childrens’ grandparents are right nearby to help out.
And that was significant for Kathriona. Both she and her husband work – her baby son had a rocky start in life and his grandparents live nearby in Cork and are very much hands-on.
So, what decision did Kathriona make about her inheritance: Keep it or sell it?
Find out in this week’s Documentary On One: “What To Do With Clogheen?” RTE Radio 1, Saturday August 6 at 1pm or on the Doc On One app or click here to listen online.
