The famous Mayo hostelry, trading since 1780, still retains some of the old-world charm that so impressed the visiting English novelist, a factor that may help ensure the property achieves its 6m guide price when it comes up for auction on 6 April next.

"It's no exaggeration to describe the hotel as having something of the atmosphere of a bygone age, " says selling agent Peter Tuohy of Tuohy Real Estate Alliance. "And with its impressive arched windows and with over 60 metres of frontage to the North Mall, it's certainly one of the town's landmark buildings."

The owner is Karl Rosenkranz, son of Vera and Edmund Rosenkranz who are known around the south Dublin area because they also owned the Hotel Pierre in Dun Laoghaire.

"This will actually be the first time the hotel has been sold publicly, " says Karl Rosenkranz. "My parents bought the premises in 1982 after hearing about it from an auctioneer friend." Karl has managed the hotel since the couple retired to Spain 12 years ago.

The Olde Railway has 27 en-suite bedrooms . . . "with ceilings 12 feet high, they're certainly spacious by today's standards, " says Karl . . . and a conservatory dining room situated at the rear of the premises. The chef 's use of fruit, vegetables and herbs from the hotel's organic garden has undoubtedly contributed to the five recent Egon Ronay recommendations and the AA Red Rosette awarded for high quality cuisine.

"Guests often describe the hotel as 'quirky', " says Karl.

"That's probably because of the Victorian and Georgian furniture and the antiques from across Ireland and the UK I've been collecting for the past 20 years."

The lounge bar . . . the public face of an otherwise private hotel . . . is decorated with 12 authentic cinema posters, some of them six feet by six feet, which Karl spent years collecting and which were originally used to advertise the film The Quiet Man, which was filmed locally.

"Our reputation has been established largely by word of mouth, " he says. "Certainly you would never find us advertising on the back page of the Irish Times. The Railway has always been the kind of hotel where you could hole up and feel protected."

This may be why Hugh Grant chose to book in for four days along with his father, shortly after the actor's well-publicised encounter with call-girl Divine Brown landed him in trouble with the US authorities back in 1995.

"He was very quiet and kept a low profile, " recalls Karl. "I think he did come here to hide and we were able to offer him that kind of privacy."

Regular guests for many years have been former Taoiseach John Bruton and his family. And U2's Adam Clayton once stayed at the Railway along with his then girlfriend, Naomi Campbell.

"We were never into weddings or high-publicity stuff, although RTE did shoot the last episode of the drama series The Final Furlong in the hotel."

Unsurprisingly, the longestablished hotel is steeped in history. It was originally built as a coaching inn by the marquis of Sligo, and when the railway line reached Westport in the early 1900s, a type of Bianconi omnibus was used to transport guests from the station to the hotel entrance.

"During the Troubles the Black and Tans took over the building and used it as a base.

They ripped out the original staircase along with most of the architrave and skirting board and used the wood to light fires during the wintertime, " says Karl.

That particular act of architectural vandalism may explain the subsequent use of "beauty board" and formica, prevalent materials throughout the premises when his parents moved in almost 25 years ago.

"They spent a lot of time and money attempting to recreate the atmosphere and charm they knew the place had possessed previously."

Karl Rosenkranz is selling the Olde Railway Hotel to pursue other interests. "After so many years, yes, of course I'm going to miss it. I've loved working here and I've always enjoyed a brilliant relationship with the staff. One particularly lady has been with me for 17 years. I've spoken to everyone and I'm going to make sure they're all taken care of in the appropriate fashion."

Price: AMV 6million at auction 6 April Agent: Tuohy & Co Real Estate Alliance 098-28000