Originally built in 1812, Ardnavaha was the Rectory for the Church of Ireland at the top of the drive. Services are still held every second and fourth Sunday at 10 am, and whatever your denomination, you will be most welcome if you wish to attend.

The Church sold Ardnavaha in the 1920’s to a Colonel Robertson, who farmed the land and brought up his family here. His daughter still lives locally.

Colonel Robertson sold the house to a German couple who initially used it as a holiday home. However, in 1969 they built on 40 bedrooms in what is now the apartment block, and used the house as the public rooms. Many famous people stayed here including Henry Ford, Irish Prime Ministers and Hollywood celebrities. Indeed, Ardnavaha was also the chosen location for many smart weddings.

The hotel changed hands several times, until the current owners purchased it, by which time the hotel was almost derelict and the house was in danger of falling down. Over the past ten years it has been an on-going project to restore the house and convert the hotel (which looked awful but was well built in solid concrete in good German style), into apartments. We have therefore done the best we can given the constraints of the building and have improved it with wrought iron balconies, wooden cap rails and new decks. However, one cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!