Tinakilly House in Rathnew has been sold by the Power family to a property development company for close to €10 million.  The house and nine acres of land have been acquired by a Dublin-based developer which already owns 200 acres around the four-star hotel.

The purchasers, Cova Properties, plan to develop the site with a mix of residential, commercial and leisure facilities. It is estimated the group will spend a further €40 million to modernise the hotel so that it includes a swimming pool, spa and health centre. They want to increase the number of rooms from 53 to over 100.

Cova Properties own 750 acres of land in County Wicklow.

Tinakilly House has a long history and it was originally built for Captain Robert Halpin who was involved with the Great Eastern company laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.

It was bought by the Power family in 1982 as a family residence and then turned into a hotel.