Well-known Kinsale bar hits the market with an asking price of €1.5m

One of Kinsale’s oldest and best-known licensed premises, The Folk House, has been launched to market with an asking price of €1.5m.

The landmark former pub and nightclub, which includes substantial overhead accommodation and potential for a range of commercial/mixed use purposes, subject to planning approval, is being sold by a Dublin-based developer. 

The property has already generated strong interest from hospitality operators in Kinsale.

A feasibility study commissioned by the vendor indicates potential for future residential development, with scope for six to 10 residential units. 

The part two-storey, part three-storey 17,000sq ft terraced premises currently has 27 en suite bedrooms across the first and second floors.

A second option would be to retain the bar and accommodation, while scrapping the nightclub element — formerly known as Bacchus — and replacing it with a more substantial hotel reception area, while introducing a small function room for private events.

News that the property on Guardwell St is for sale has already prompted a strong reaction on Facebook, with former patrons sharing nostalgic memories of “a great bar and live music venue”, while expressing hopes that a new owner might revive its live music tradition.

Among the memories shared was one former customer recalling spending his honeymoon there in the 70s, another remembered attending a Boomtown Rats gig at the Folk House, while yet another recalled how Michael Frawley, who ran the business with his wife Rose for a period, would play Friday night matches on a video on Saturdays, with strict instructions on one occasion to the bar man not to reveal the score. “I won’t, but you won’t see any goals,” came the witty response.

Although the premises closed during covid and never re-opened, it was for many decades a popular fixture of Kinsale’s hospitality scene and an institution in the town for 300 years.