Lit by lanterns that sit in alcoves on the walls, the room is host to large parties, wedding feasts, birthdays, as well as more intimate affairs. Stretching the length of the room is a breath-taking view of the sea. If you didn’t know better, you might think it was a ship you were dining from.

The grand ballroom, site of some of the town’s most famous celebrations, is truly something to behold. The walls are painted as a forest, the ceilings dimming to a star-studded sky reflected in the magnificent locally cut crystal glass chandelier.

All of the hotel’s twelve guest-rooms possess an enchanting view, be it the Irish sea, with its ever-changing moods of serenity and wind tossed drama, or the gardens, whose colours change with each season. Should you happen to glance into the gardens after dark, you could be forgiven for thinking it is the haunt of fairies and nymphs.

At the end of a long day, hiking on the magnificent sugarloaf mountain, strolling along the coastline or partaking of the town’s many local delights, there is no better option than to retreat to the Bay Hotel, order a bottle of locally sourced wine to your room, and sink into the claw-footed bath.

This hotel is special in so many ways, too many to do justice to on paper. The most magical thing about the place needs to be experienced in order to be truly understood.

It is the feeling that it exists almost out of the realm. Home to modern amenities, yes, but spend a day here and you will feel the troubles and banalities of everyday life recede.

The Harte family, including the recently departed beloved matriarch Anna, instinctively know what is required of a hotel: charm, relaxation, luxury and pleasant company.

‘Hmm . . . I think you might have laid it on a little thick, Colin,’ Elle said, when the first press article came out. ‘We can’t be certain that everyone will find the same kind of experience here. Plus, it’s different from Mum’s day. I’m not her.’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ said Colin. ‘We open tomorrow and we’re almost fully booked, aren’t we? You can learn on the job.’

Chapter 46

On the eve of the Bay Hotel’s official reopening, everything was perfect.

The kitchen was stocked with local produce, and a fresh delivery of bread, seafood and fruit was due to arrive that morning. Molly had been working on the menu for weeks, and they had all been sampling her creations. Ned was advising on the best wines to go with them.

The beds were all made up with fine linen from Suds Laundry, and stocked with big fluffy towels and robes. All the products in the bathrooms, the scented soaps, shampoos and bath oils, had been obtained from local perfumery Ocean Breeze, and fresh flowers in the bedrooms picked from the hotel gardens.