Hill House, a boutique B&B looking on to the Rock of Cashel, was launched on Saturday by owners Veronica and Raymond Vere Hunt.
The 18th-century house, once visited by Daniel O’Connell, was transformed with guidance from the Brennan brothers of RTE’s At Your Service. The B&B features five en-suite bedrooms and a three-bedroom self-catering lodge, aiming to attract tourists to Cashel.
Ireland’s high tourism costs, particularly VAT rates, were cited as a challenge to attracting European and American visitors. The launch will be broadcast on RTE in March or April 2026, showcasing the B&B’s restoration and unique view.
Raymond Vere Hunt shared: “We’ve got through it. We’ve come out the other end. It did cost a lot of money to get it here. We went through the pain barrier of that as well. But we’re happy to be at this stage, and to have the house open.”
We’d welcome any guests that want to come. It’s a boutique type B&B more so than a hotel. If they could reduce the VAT, or do something just to try and get the tourists back again – get the Americans, get the Germans, get the Europeans coming to Ireland. We have a beautiful country and we need to show it off.”
“The Brennan brothers have been very good to us. They are pure gentlemen. We got on very well with them. They told us a few home truths from time to time, which is no harm.”
Veronica Vere Hunt shared: “It felt a little bit surreal to finally launch the B&B after so much effort. I actually think it will sink in tomorrow.”
Veronica Vere Hunt shared: “I think there were so many recommendations along the way – and to be fair to them, all their recommendations we took on board, even the ones I didn’t want to at the start.”
Francis Brennan shared: “We’re here since day one. It was a shack of a house really, in reality, because it hadn’t been lived in for a long time. There was broken windows and all the rest. We helped them in a lot of things. We brought them to see places such like Perryville House in Kinsale and Pery Square (hotel) in Limerick. They’re very like this property.”
“Some key recommendations concerned great discussions over carpets. But when we looked at the floors, the floors were in great conditions, so all they did was sanded them and stained them, and saved themselves a fortune.”
