Go overnight

GEMMA TIPTONstays at Blindgate House in Kinsale Co. Cork

APPARENTLY, St Joseph is the patron saint of both house hunters and estate agents. He also helps with doubts and hesitation. If any of these issues are plaguing you, you could do far worse than book into Blindgate House. Blindgate House is also your best bet if you fancy a quiet break in the pretty seaside town of Kinsale, and love tasteful contemporary decor, soft feather pillows, plenty of free parking and one of the best breakfasts in Ireland.

St Joseph’s input comes from the view some bedrooms have of his statue, which watches over a local school – not that this has always been a comfort to every traveller. Blindgate’s owner, Maeve Coakley, tells the story of one guest who asked: “What’s that man doing outside my room?”

Blindgate House is a guest house, and for those of you who don’t know the difference between a guest house and a BB (I didn’t), it’s all in the numbers. A BB has six rooms or fewer, and anything above that counts as a guest house.

Having had some interesting experiences with BBs in the past, I tend to book with some trepidation. There was the stay where it was obvious the family who owned it was going through some dog-related trauma, and another where the single beds we had moved together the night before were pushed apart while we were out, this time firmly and chastely separated by a small table.

On the other hand, the advantages of staying in such places over hotels is that, at their best, you can have a truly local experience, a friendly and personal welcome and a break away where you feel like an individual rather than just another unit in a large accommodation machine.

Blindgate offers all these good things and more. Purpose-built, it’s not hugely prepossessing from the outside, but inside, the skills of the interior designer Beatrice Blake have been put to use to create rooms that are bright and modern as well as relaxing and quietly tasteful. There are none of the twee touches I have come to fear from some such places, although the only criticism I would have (if pressed) is that for my taste the rooms are almost a little too spare. There is a lovely set of hunting prints in the breakfast room, while dotted around the other walls, and in the bedrooms, are a set of Vivienne Roche watercolours of small domestic details such as plug sockets, doors and window frames. These came from the hotel the Coakley family once ran in nearby Garretstown.

The bedrooms and bathrooms are large, clean and airy, and the beds big and very comfortable. The furnishings are in vaguely ethnic-looking dark wood, while blankets, bedspreads and upholstery are in quiet neutral tones. The pillows are filled with fluffy down. There are tea and coffee facilities in all rooms, as well as the usual things – hairdryer, ironing board, TV, phone and so on. What Blindgate lacks in sea views it makes up for it with peace and quiet. Located about a five-minute walk up a small hill from Kinsale harbour, you feel as if you are away from it all in a very good way. No roaring revellers pass the windows late at night, and no lorries thunder by at dawn.

Walking back down to the harbour in the morning, the narrow road winds past pretty pastel-painted houses, and before you know it you’re back in town and ready for a second coffee at one of Kinsale’s many cafes. Coffee, maybe, but I definitely had no room for food – the breakfasts at Blindgate are excellent. There is fresh fruit, cereal and freshly squeezed orange juice to help yourself to. I chose French toast, and it came fluffy and perfect, accompanied by bacon and a small jug of maple syrup. You can, of course, also opt for the full Irish, or smoked salmon, omelettes and so on. All the food is cooked to order, seasonal and local, and you can taste the care that goes into it.

It can be hard these days for small, family-run places to compete with the prices hotels are currently offering (in some cases just to stay open for long enough to avail of certain tax incentives), but as part of what has always made hospitality in Ireland so special, the good ones are well worth supporting. I would recommend Blindgate for a stay that combines peace and quiet with proximity to Kinsale’s amenities. The short walk back up the hill may be too much for some, although, after a highly satisfying dinner in Crackpots or Fishy Fishy, it could be just the thing you need to prepare you for a good night’s sleep. And if you’re still hesitating about whether to go – well, just ask St Joseph.

WhereBlindgate House, Kinsale, Co Cork, 021-4777858, blindgatehouse.com.

WhatModern guest house in Kinsale.

Rooms11 bedrooms.

Best ratesFrom €99 per room BB. Stay four nights for the price of three.

Restaurant and barBreakfast room and lounge. No bar.

Child-friendlinessChildren welcome.

AccessWheelchair access to ground-floor bedrooms. No special facilities.

AmenitiesParking, free Wi-Fi internet (Wi-Fi in some bedrooms only, so make sure to confirm on booking if you need it), quiet location within walking distance of town.