With Dublin's hotel and guesthouse market still booming, the Government is getting in on the act. Next month it takes possession of the State's first official guesthouse, Farmleigh, a spectacular Victorian mansion on the edge of the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

The Government paid £23 million last June for the house and 78 acres of parkland after earlier deciding against taking it into State ownership when approached by the Guinness family. The delay cost the Exchequer several million pounds. Hamilton Osborne King handled the sale.

Had the State not acquired the estate, it could have been bought as a private residence by a wealthy businessman or ended up as an exclusive hotel. The Office of Public Works is to refurbish Farmleigh when it takes possession on December 15th. Although it will be used primarily as a State guesthouse for visiting dignitaries and for important State functions, it will also be opened to the public in much the same way as Dublin Castle.

Farmleigh, with its extensive parklands and easy access to the city, is acknowledged as Dublin's finest house. Its main entrance opens directly into the park at White's Gate and its location near Castleknock Gate gives it the benefit of the only ceremonial approach to the city via the park's main avenue. It is easily the largest house in the city, having over 40,000 sq. ft of floor space. It has six exceptionally lavish reception rooms, including a stunning ballroom, a large conservatory, 20 main bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. The original cornicing and paint-work has remained untouched since the house was completed in 1881. It is not known whether the OPW plans to retain the original faded tapestries and velvet and linen materials which cover many of its walls.

The State's purchase of Farmleigh is in contrast with official policy over the years when successive Governments refused to buy important private homes. Almost 20 years ago, the State came under pressure from the Irish Georgian Society to acquire the Carton estate in Maynooth. Although the asking price was only a few million pounds, it was regarded as too high at the time.

Despite the turnaround in the public finances politicians, it seems, are still reluctant to be associated with "the big house".