Killarney’s not short of places to eat, but, on the edge of the National Park yet still in the centre of town and just by the Cathedral, West End House is one of the nicest. It’s a charming late-19th century building, and once did service as a school; later, during the second World War, the Irish army set themselves up here.
Perhaps curiosity drove some people to visit more recently. It is, after all, owned by the parents of actor Michael Fassbender, and rumours of his appearances behind the bar abound.
They ran the place until they retired, and the premises has since been renovated and leased, but it’s for sale now, with DNG Ted Healy, for €1.5 million.
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The ground floor, with lobby, bar, three restaurant areas, wine room, kitchen and cold storage, plus bathrooms, is done up and ready to go.
It’s cosy and welcoming. Some of the decor is a little on the “strong” side, but the features are good, with stoves, open fires, wood panelling and dark timber floors. There’s 465sq m (5,000sq ft) of accommodation in all. Outside there’s a garden planted with mature shrubs and borders.
Upstairs there are a pair of function rooms, but, perhaps more interestingly, three further rooms, currently designated as storage, could be used to turn this place back into a residential option for anyone wanting to live, so to speak, above the shop.
When Josef and Adele Fassbender were running it, this floor housed bedrooms for guesthouse- style accommodation.
As Killarney is already well catered for when it comes to places for visitors to stay, the owner-occupier option is attractive.
There’s also planning permission for four mews-style townhouses, with separate access on the grounds. The restaurant licence has lapsed, so while that’s easily reinstated, there’s also the other option of turning the whole thing back into a private house; but overall, it’s the ideal place to earn its keep.
And who knows, a nostalgic Michael may wish to visit from time to time.
