Castles in the air

Dunboy Castle near Castletownbere, Co Cork, was meant to be a dream six-star hotel. Instead, despite massive investment, it lies idle, reports Catherine Shanahan.

HYPED as the country’s first six-star, the hotel to eclipse all others, Dunboy Castle would seduce a new generation of affluent tourists unfazed by premium nightly rates.

Here, in the splendid heart of Beara, upmarket tourists would seek out the unrivalled quarters and 24-hour personalised concierge service of a hotel that would finally establish the peninsula as a “destination” — and not just a stopover for day-trippers, as frequently was the case.