Ciara O’Brien’s life is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the massive metropolitan life she once lived, nestled in the verdant valley near Mitchelstown, Co Cork. This stark difference motivated her to leave her corporate lifestyle, buy an old cottage, and make a return to the place she once called home.
Situated amidst the beautiful vistas of the countryside, a mere stone’s throw away from Mitchelstown and provides breathtaking views of the Galtee Mountains, this dwelling is ideally rural without being distantly remote. As a businesswoman, this made it an ideal choice for Ciara, especially as she had previously been unsuccessful in acquiring other homes in this region.
The traditional farmhouse, initially constructed in the mid-19th Century, comprised a simple two-up/two-down structure, inclusive of a multi-functional living room cum kitchen, the ‘main room’ and two upper-level bedrooms. The house was remodeled in the 1970s with an extension to include a modern kitchen, a bathroom and two additional bedrooms. On reviewing the property in 2021, O’Brien saw potential for her to reside in an adjoining outbuilding, while converting the main house into a bed and breakfast.
The property included an acre of land and numerous outbuildings and sheds. Ciara decided to renovate one of the lean-to sheds into a studio apartment which now serves as her abode. She mentions that her childhood recollections of the house, hitherto enveloped in ivy with a peculiar monkey puzzle tree decorating its front yard, attracted her. The house, notable in its structure, was originally built for one of their farmers by the local Kingston family.
O’Brien states, “Growing exhausted from laborious days at the desk and an inundation of Zoom meetings, I desired a transformation: a more active life, greater outdoor interaction, and investment of my time, skills, and resources into elevating my local neighbourhood,”.
Although O’Brien found the house to be in fairly decent condition, the site is very dry which meant the house had a G BER rating indicating it required a complete overhaul and retrofitting. Thus, she decided to bring to life the intrinsic charm of the old structure. To achieve this, the interior and exterior cement render was stripped off, the original stone walls were reworked, and the traditional lime render was restored.
This Cork woman shared her experience of transforming a space into an energy-efficient home by insulating everything, from the floors and walls to the ceiling and rafters, along with the installation of heat pumps and solar panels. Despite slight tweaks in the original floor plan, the original layout of the house was largely preserved. Most of the renovation work was contracted to H&E Construction Services, along with local craftsmen Colan Howard and David Casey, at an expense of around €350,000.
Though she was not vigorously involved in the physical renovations, the homeowner played a key role in the aesthetic elements of the home. Working with interior designer Catherine O’Flynn, they made careful selections of fixtures, fittings and decoration. While renovation was underway within the house, the homeowner and her father also attended to the landscape design outside the house, imparting equal attention to the property’s facade.
Personally undertaking much of the research on interior creativity, she was drawn to soothing sage green toned Pooky lighting in the farmhouse. Contrarily, she aimed for a more industrial aesthetic for her private studio, featuring items such as steel doors, timber windows, plastered walls, and a kitchen with birch ply.
The homeowner commended O’Flynn’s contribution to achieving design harmony and curbing impulsive picks from visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, the designer helped consolidate a cohesive look that enhances the flow of the entire property. Despite the renovation taking slightly longer than expected and an unforeseen 5% hike in budget due to a roofing issue, the refurbished house is not only a modern abode but also a guest-ready venue.
Reflecting on her experience, Ciara O’Brien emphasised the importance of seeing a product in action, alongside its paper specifications, especially if it hasn’t been utilised by the building contractor before. After three years of undertaking her project, she happily completed the refurbishment of her recently bought home, Barnahown B&B. The bed and breakfast commenced operations during the summer season, enjoying a successful beginning.
Located in the lively town of Mitchelstown, famous for its gastronomic offerings and near tourist attractions like the Galtee Mountains, Glengarra Woodlands and Mitchelstown Cave, the B&B has been warmly received by tourists and business travellers alike. O’Brien, the primary host, is known for providing custom-made services to every guest, both human and dogs.
The desire to own a place where she can entertain friends and family, paired with a passion for sustainability, led her to open a B&B instead of leaving such a considerable property unoccupied. “The B&B started its operations in mid-July 2024, and since then, it has been a busy place with most nights being fully booked,” says O’Brien.
The establishment got the chance to be featured in a forthcoming series of ‘At Your Service’ on RTÉ One, where her episode is queued for October 6th viewing. She had a delightful time teaming up with the Brennan brothers, John and Francis, the hosts of the show. She found their insights on room design, breakfast menus, and pricing very beneficial. Furthermore, they facilitated meetings for her with successful sustainable businesses she admired, including Hotel Doolin.
Enjoying her newfound interest in operating a countryside B&B, Ciara believes it’s quite a shift from her previous role. Having spent twenty years working with international companies like PepsiCo, Unilever and Google across various continents like the US, UK, Europe and Asia, and having lived in major global cities such as London, Rotterdam and Singapore, she is ecstatic about her recent role.
O’Brien expresses that her previous lifestyle, filled with lengthy days behind a desk and endless Zoom meetings, had grown wearisome, which led her to yearn for a change. She wished for more movement, outdoor time and the opportunity to contribute her skills and resources to her community. Her dream extended to owning her home, a hub for gathering her friends and family. However, being single and committed to sustainable living, it seemed wrong to her to have a largely vacant house. Hence, the seed of creating a bed and breakfast was planted.
Her envision is to reserve the bed and breakfast for personal use for 20-30 days annually, while the rest of the year, it could serve as needed accommodation locally. This venture would be a financial favour to her, allowing her more in nature while supporting local food companies and artists by displaying their work in her property.
O’Brien admits to the fears involved in relinquishing a secured profession to venture into entrepreneurship. She states that if she had a do-over, she would try to worry less about ensuring the B&B is consistently occupy.
She is optimistic that with some experience, comprehending the seasonal fluctuations would be achievable, and she will be able to appreciate her new lifestyle fully. O’Brien is confident that this new way of life is perfectly suited for her, citing it as exciting and satisfying. She sees a future filled with various possibilities for her charming residence.