Montenotte History

The original mansion house was built in the 1820’s as a luxurious home for a local butter merchant, complete with a basement, privy, two coach houses and two stables.  Perfectly positioned on the hilltop overlooking the city, so he could view his cargo coming in and out of Cork harbour, it was aptly named Lee View House.

During the 18th century, Cork’s economic wealth prospered through the export of butter, pork and salted beef to the West Indies with English settlers benefitting most.  By the close of the century, the local industry had evolved to include textiles, tanning, distilling and brewing, all of which were generating financial gain for the city. The wealthiest families began to move to the suburbs with villas and houses built along the northern hills such as St. Luke’s, Sunday’s Well and further east to Montenotte and Tivoli.

Similarly, fine houses were built in Blackrock and Douglas on the south side. These were often set in well-kept grounds and were far from the overcrowding of the city centre. New bridges allowed access to these areas, while in the later 19th century – railways, such as Cork, Blackrock, Passage Railway improved connectivity.

Cork’s Merchant Princes

The names of Cork’s Merchant Princes live on with Beamish, Crawford, Murphy, Roche, Crosbie and Dwyer often heard of, all across the world today.

Merchant families were well-educated, philanthropic and had a cultural patronage too. The Crawford Art Gallery and The School of Art were established by The Crawford family with brewers and merchants being responsible for many improvements in Cork during the 19th century.

With a keen interest in art, particularly evident in the early 19th century, many amassed sufficient funds to curate collections that adorned the walls of their vast and spacious residences. They were proud of Cork and contributed greatly to the city’s development by building-up businesses and industries. These not only generated funds for the Merchant Princes but also provided employment for the local community and encouraged other enterprises to flourish.

The term “Merchant Princes” is rarely used today, but still holds a great place of importance in Cork’s history. While many of the families have long moved on, their legacy is celebrated with their names still visible across tourist attractions and street names such as Penrose Quay, Lapp’s Quay and Lavitt’s Quay.

Historical Milestones

For three generations the houses that now form The Montenotte Hotel were a private residence for families of “merchant princes”, first trading as The Lee View Hotel after the war in 1948.

Located in the original house, the treatment rooms in Bellevue Spa are named after significant dates in the hotel’s history, honouring its longstanding legacy.

Some of the most poignant milestones to date include:

  • 1766: Entrance pillars were built
  • 1820: Lee View House was built
  • 1900: First gardens established at Lee View House
  • 1948: Opening of The Lee View Hotel
  • 1960: The Lee View House becomes The Country Club
  • 2006: The Montenotte Hotel is established
  • 2017: Our current owners’ takeover of The Montenotte Hotel and launch its redevelopment and rebrand

Claim to Fame

On Saturday, 1st March 1980, U2 stayed at the hotel while in town for a gig at The Arcadia on Winthrop Street. A selection of iconic photographs of the world-famous foursome were captured on the rooftop, referred to as The Country Club back then. The images were subsequently used for the book cover of  ‘U2 By U2’ and the Greatest Hits CD/DVD ‘U218’.

Interesting Appendices

The current owners commissioned local historian Margaret Lantry, to unearth the property’s historical past. Selected for her extensive knowledge of Cork’s “Merchant Princes” and passion for the city, she undertook an in-depth research project in 2017. Over 12 months she uncovered a remarkable myriad of facts and stories, which you can read all about in a special blog here.

An fascinating article by Laura Slattery, published by The Irish Times in 2011 also details the ‘Dynasties that made Cork a buoyant commercial city’

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