1. The Princess Hotel was originally the private house of the Mulhall's. Charles Mulhall came to Boyle from Geashill in County Offaly towards the end of the 18th century. His grandson, John, married Victoria, daughter of Charles Joseph MacDermot, Prince of Coolavin. The house was subsequently owned by John Flannery, from whom it was inherited by Michael Ward in 1910. In the 1930s he opened the Princess Hotel. In it the Rev. P. Sharkey carried out much of the research for his book, "The Heart of Ireland". The hotel closed, but was subsequently open during the 1950s and 1960s under the ownership of Michael Moran. The grounds where formerly Ward grew tomatoes and chrysanthemums is now occupied by a car park, while the house is occupied by the Boyle Credit Union.

The mailcoach stopped near here, prior to ascending the steep hill, in the days before the New Bridge was built in 1817 near Boyle Abbey.

The sharp-eyed may spot metal brackets fixed on two houses on the right hand side of the road facing up the hill. What might these have been for? (answer later!)