Desmond House B&B was fabulous and far exceeded our expectations. Michael and Anne made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived. Every need was catered for, from our luxuriously spacious bedroom, with huge en-suit, (loved the Jacuzzi!) to a breakfast fit for a king. Michael's knowledge on the history and area of Kinsale is vast, which proved to be a fantastic bonus. Without his recommendations we may have missed out on some great walks and historical sights, not to mention good pubs and restaurants!

This was our first trip to Ireland and fortunately Kinsale was recommended to us as a great place to stay. We agree! This is a fabulous town, steeped in history, beautiful countryside and a foodie haven. if you're visiting Kinsale, we would highly recommend Desmond House B&B to make a great trip perfect. We have taken some very special memories away with us, thank you both and hope to see you (very) soon!

Desmond house is a wonderful accommodation in beautiful Kinsale. Michael was a very gracious host and very helpful in offering suggestions on where to eat and what to do. His recommendation for the Historical Walk was one of the highlights of our stay. If you're in Kinsale it's a must do.
Our room was so spacious and had a huge bathroom. The location was perfect, just a quick walk to anywhere in town. I would absolutely return to Desmond house. We loved it.

We stayed at Desmond House this past August (2007) for 5 nights. The hospitality was exceptional. Michael's recommendations for dining, activities and day trips were all delightful and tailored to our interests. We liked a restaurant he recommended so much, Jola's, that we ate there 3 times! The room was lovely, the bed large and very comfortable, and the bathroom! Well, if you have been to Ireland you learn to manage with very small bathrooms! This one was huge, many places to put things, and had a Jacuzzi! For all of this the price was very reasonable and the location was perfect. Easy walk everywhere, but far enough away from the main activity of town to be nicely quiet. Michael also set's you up with reasonable parking for your car which is a HUGE deal in Kinsale. This was the nicest place we stayed on this trip to Ireland (our sixth!).

My wife and I stayed at The Desmond House on October 14th-15th. I can't say enough about the room, the food and the service.
Michael was also very good with suggestions for our visit.

This was my third trip to Ireland and first time in Kinsale. I will certainly plan time in Kinsale at The Desmond House on any future trip. Beautiful town! Perfect B&B!

Michael McLaughlin, the owner of the Desmond House (along with his wife Anne) has to be the most interesting, intelligent, helpful, and delightful person we met on our two week tour of Ireland (including Northern Ireland). A former banker, now innkeeper and part-time sailor, Michael is an absolute joy to be around as well as an encyclopedia of knowledge about the area which he gladly shares with you before you start your day out the lovely blue door of the Desmond House. House is well maintained and decorated even though the original structure is a few hundred years old. Good location in town near the harbor We found readibly accessible street parking although in-season in Kinsale might be another story. Breakfasts cooked by Anne were scrumptious with the best salmon we had anywhere on our 2,000 kilometer long trip. Highly recommended as it is definitely one of the best B&B's in all of Ireland.

Our rooms really WERE huge, and the location really WAS perfect, as the reviews said. Really liked being able to stop during the day and use our room, it was so convenient. Michael was a great guide for Kinsale. He made sure was had a close parking spot on the street, although this property does lack a parking lot. This property is so beautifully refurbished, and he is rightfully proud of its solar water heating.

Just stayed at the Desmond House in October 2007. Our stay was absolutely FANTASTIC! Michael and Anne are the best hosts anyone could ask for while staying at a B&B. Very helpful yet non-intrusive. The rooms are large, the beds are comfortable and most of all, the rooms are VERY CLEAN! Breakfast was great too. We stayed at Desmond House for 2 nights and would have loved to stay longer. However, Ireland called and we had more to see. Kinsale is a very quaint town. I am so glad we had the town and Desmond House on our itinerary. Stay here. You will be very happy you did.

My husband and I stayed here in August and had a wonderful time. It was our favorite stay in Ireland. You will not find a more hospitable Innkeeper than Michael. His recommendations were spot on - lunch at Fishy Fish and the walking tour of Kinsale. The breakfasts were fantastic and make sure you try his bacon which he gets at a special market in Cork. The rooms are immaculate and large, walking distance to everything. You will not be dissappointed! Michael, I hope you are able to have your dreams come true with your boat.

Desmond House B&B was one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland. Michael and Anne welcome you with open arms - from helping us park our car to letting us charge our camera batteries. They truly enjoy hosting guests from all over the world. The rooms are huge and gorgeously decorated, with beautiful views from the windows. Michael happily answers questions while taking your custom breakfast order in the morning while Anne pops her head out of the kitchen with a smile and a good morning while whipping up your food. What a delight to meet these two people and to stay in their home!

My wife and I stayed at this B&B in September 2007 and we loved it.
The host Michael is a lovely bloke who will gladly chat for ages about a variety of topics.
Our room was very well appointed and very cosy.
Breakfast the following morning was excellent and nothing was too much trouble.
One word of warning, parking in Kinsale on a Saturday evening is a nightmare.

We couldn't have asked for better hosts or a better place to stay in Kinsale! Staying at Michael and Anne's B&B was just like staying at a dear friend's house - from the initial warm welcome to the last wave as we headed out of town. The rooms were huge, clean and beautifully decorated and the extremely large bathrooms are new! An added treat was the availability of coffee and tea in your room. Great for the start to an early morning or the end of a late night. Our group had all 4 rooms and it truly felt like a home away from home. Anne's hearty and delicious breakfast eliminated any thought of lunch later in the day. Michael's dinner recommendations, along with the necessary bookings, were great endings to wonderful days in this beautiful town. A morning sail on Michael's boat along with his interesting stories and history of Kinsale was one of the highlights of our 8-day tour of southwest Ireland. If you're contemplating a stay at Desmond House, don't delay - it just may be the highlight of your trip!

I was expecting excellence from Desmond House due to the great reviews. This place exceeded my expectations. It was outstanding on every count. I traveled all over Ireland with my 16 year old daughter for 3 weeks. My daughter looked around our room shortly after we arrived at Desmond House and said to me, "Mom, I feel like I'm living a fairy tale in this place."
That is how I felt too. The room we stayed in was just so beautiful. It was complete luxury yet extremely charming. Our room had a great view of the harbor. The dining room was lovely. Breakfast was cooked to order and delicious. Michael and Anne are as wonderful in person as the reviewers suggest. Michael will give you plenty of information and bits of wisdom.
If you are planning on coming to Ireland. Don't miss Kinsale or Desmond House.

We spent two wonderful nights at Desmond House. The rooms were spotless and beautiful. The location was perfect but best of all was our host. Michael is a charming man who entertained all of us with his stories. He won over our teenagers with a wonderful analogy about parents, children, wells, buckets and strings. Very complicated but loved the advice. We had a great dinner at Crackpots, right down the street. Beware - Kinsale restaurants, while wonderful, are quite expensive.

The rave reviews are for real. There's nothing to say but praise for the home and the hosts. The rooms were truly enormous! Bathrooms were brand new. Beds were comfy; breakfast was outstanding!

For future guests: (1) Make sure you know where you're going BEFORE you arrive in Kinsale. The town has a bit of a confusing layout and the streets are narrow, congested and unforgiving of navigational errors. Take a map that has a physical representation of the layout of the streets. We failed to make sure we understood Michael's directions and smugly thought we'd rely on the GPS but found it was useless inside the town. (2) Spend a little time with Michael and learn the history of the home. It's fascinating, and it's fun to see how engaged Michael is in telling its story. (3) Spend lots of time in the pubs. They were among the best of our entire trip.

We stayed at the Desmond House for one night. The room was very large by European B&B standards. We had a king bed and a newly remodeled bathroom. Unfortunately, I did not get to use the new jacuzzi bath but it looked great!

The TV was very small and too high up. The room did need a little refreshing, but had great furniture and tea service.

Our hosts, Michael and Ann were awesome. Michael offered us directions and advice about our whirwind trip. Ann cooked a superb breakfast the next morning.

We were very close to the center of town and walked around the corner to the pubs.

Desmond House deserves every kind word written about it. If you are looking for; Central location, clean and spacious rooms, helpful and charming hosts, a great B&B, a first class breakfast in a town which is delightful, then Desmond House in the heart of Kinsale is the place for you.