It was in 1956, at the age of 18, that Des Hearns joined the Army. What prompted him down this road? His answer, he says, was the one he heard most often when, as a senior officer, he was interviewing potential new recruits: "I was attracted by the outdoor life."

In fact, the outdoor life was to form only a small part of his 38-year army career. "When you reach a certain stage in the Army, you see little enough of the outdoors because you end up in an office," he says.

Hearns spent nine years in the Curragh and 17 years in Dublin in a variety of posts. In 1968, while still in the Army, he decided to fulfil a lifelong interest in legal matters and began reading for a degree in civil law. He also studied to become a barrister and he was called to the Bar in 1971.

At this point he considered leaving the Army because at the time he couldn't see any way in which he could use his new qualifications within the framework of his job. However, the situation subsequently changed - he received a legal appointment from the Army in 1977 and he was posted to Defence Forces headquarters.

The role of a legal officer within the Army is two-fold. One side of the job involves overseeing and administering "domestic" legal issues which arise within the Army. This effectively means ensuring that the code of military law is adhered to in the interests of good order and discipline. The other side of the job involves providing advice to commanding officers on external legal matters. For example, if a dispute arose over land or trespass involving a civilian.

During his career, Hearns served in the Congo as an infantry officer and in Lebanon as a legal officer. He also lectured on military law to recruits in the Military College.

While working in the Army, Hearns developed a number of sporting and cultural interests. He is a national scuba-diving instructor and he has been heavily involved in amateur boxing for much of his life. He spent 20 years on the National Boxing Council and he has refereed many times at international level including taking part in two World Cups.

Hearns also has a long track record in music and amateur drama and he was active in both the Newbridge (Co Kildare) Musical Society and the Curragh Theatre Group for many years.

Since his retirement he has moved to Ring, Co Waterford, where he has become involved with the local theatre group, Aisteoiri na Rinne, who perform in Irish. Although a fluent Irish speaker, he was initially somewhat concerned about acting in Irish. However, he put his best foot forward and had a go. "I'm pleased to say I did it and got away with it," he says with some relief.

In the mid-1990s with his retirement looming, Des Hearns was considering what he might do with the rest of his life. He has enjoyed a lifelong love affair with Spain and speaks Spanish fluently. So, a move to Spain was one option. However, while he was mulling things over a routine medical examination showed up a problem with his heart and he subsequently underwent bypass surgery.

During the six-month recovery period, his mind turned towards looking at the possibility of buying a property in the country with a view to providing tourist accommodation. He bought a 100-year-old house in Ring in need of major refurbishment and has spent the past three years doing much of the work himself. He bought the property with his gratuity from the Army and, after a career spent with a pen, he has now exchanged it for "a career with a shovel"

It has taken three years' hard work to knock the property into shape and, while the work is not yet complete, one part is now open for visitors. The guesthouse is called Ostallan Desibeau - after Hearns' nick name in the Army for being a snappy dresser.

Originally a doctor's house, the four-bedroom property has an attached dispensary which Hearns has been able to refurbish and expand to create hostel accommodation for about 14 people.

Eventually, the main house will also be opened to guests as a B&B serving what Hearns describes as "an up-market breakfast". There are no plans to provide evening meals - "this is supposed to be my retirement," he says. However, he adds that cooking and quarter-mastering skills he learnt in the Army mean he can always knock up a good meal from very little when required.

Hearns enjoys meeting people. In the off-season he hopes to take off to Spain for a few months to travel around and brush up his Spanish. Although a qualified lawyer, he says that going into the law as a career when he left the Army was not an option. "It was too late to make another career in the law and it's already over-crowded," he says. However, he keeps his hand in on legal matters with some consultancy work in commercial law.

Hearns believes that an army career fits one out for most things in life and that running a business is just an extension of that. Experience of running messes, preparing accounts and accommodation are all second nature to him so he is not anticipating any major problems with his new venture.