The former Dun an Oir Hotel at Ballyferriter, near Dingle, in the Gaeltacht area of Co Kerry, is to be redeveloped as apartments.

The former four-star hotel, purchased in 1998 by Michael Cronin after being operated for many years by businessman John Slye, Oir Golf Hotel was the only four star accommodation in the immediate area, with the majority of the accommodation falling into the budget category. Both the Dingle Skellig Hotel and Benners Hotel are located in Dingle town and remain quite popular. Planning permission has been secured to convert the former hotel is to be converted as 21 apartments ranging from a studio unit with 325 sq ft, up to a three-bedroom home with 1,275 sq ft. The apartments will be sold on long leases at prices from £70,000 to £190,000.

There will be two studio units, four one-bedroom units, eight two-beds, four three-beds, two one-bedroom duplex units and one three-bedroom home. Each apartment is to be sold fully furnished and equipped in "turn-key" condition.

The outdoor swimmingpool on site, frequently unusable due to weather conditions, will be covered as part of the refurbishment and converted into a year-round pool.

The developer is targeting the golfing and holiday home market - the Ballyferriter/Dunquin area is popular with Irish and overseas visitors, and there is an 18 hole links course adjoining the former hotel.

Niall D Brennan Associates, previously associated with the Morgan Hotel in Dublin's Temple Bar, the De Vesci house apartment complex in Monkstown, Co Dublin and Faithlegg Manor Hotel in Waterford, are the architects for the redevelopment of this 1970s building.

The apartments at the front of the building will have views of the Blasket Islands and the Atlantic; apartments at the back will overlook Mount Brandon.

Sherry FitzGerald O'Connell in Tralee and Dingle, and Damian Wallace Auctioneers in Cork are joint agents.