HOUSE OF THE WEEK

You can bring your own boat to the doorstep of this Rathcoursey home — and, if you haven’t one, its upbeat selling agent might even promise one. After all, he delivered before on a vague promise - only it was with a goat.

Midleton estate agent Michael Russell recalls a time, when selling a house on some unkept land, that he jokingly told a bidder that he would include a goat to graze it if she bought it the property. After the deal went through, sure enough, he got a phone call, looking for the goat. Surprised, but true to his word, he bought two goats in a bar for a tenner and delivered them to the house, Weeks later, he got another phone call — the garden was tamed, and the goats could now go, thank you. Doubly surprised, he found a second home for the duo, reprising their garden clearing role for another person- “and 15 years on, I’d say they’re still doing the gardens of East Cork,” Mr Russell laughs.

Now, a boat will be of more use than a goat at this Rathcoursey retreat, part of a cluster of homes on the shoreline fringing Cork harbour a couple of miles out from Midleton, looking across water to Ballyannon wood by Midleton, and to Great Island near East Ferry to the west. (East Grove House, home to Loretta and Lewis Glucksman has just sold across the waters at East Ferry, in a c €1.8m deal to a local East Cork family buyer.)

More modest, obviously, and easy to keep is this 2007/08 renovated and extended two-bed cottage, originally built around the 1800s for a salmon fisherman — but now sea-bass are more plentiful, and a quarry for one of the owners of this waterside eyrie.

Set near an old but still used and appreciate pier, the house looks out on water, shingle banks, woods, island and wildlife, which includes swans and a seal, who comes here for rich pickings.

While the cottage’s upgrade is well done, it’s all about the setting and the views, with water lapping at the boundaries beyond a protecting wall added in recent years for peace of mind, while you can hop over the wall and into a boat almost at the drop of a fisherman’s cap. Handily too, Midleton’s only a five minute spin by car, and Cork city’s 20 minutes beyond that, making this a very easy retreat option for new owners.

The vendors are looking for a more family-friendly alternative with gardens (with or without goat) and Michael Russell launches the T-shaped cottage at €275,000, open to offers, and knowing it’s going to have an appeal to post- Valentine’s Day romantics.

Added on by the vendors is a viewing/breakfast balcony off the master dormer-style bedroom via French doors, and in summer it’s a spot for evening sitting out as the skies turn inky indigo over the waters, as late as 11pm, while the second, larger bedroom is a currently a princess’s palace, in girly pinks, with double aspect windows, lime-washed floorboards and lofty ceilings with exposed joists.

The ground level’s largely open-plan, with entrance hall, tiled kitchen/dining room opening to a living room with solid fuel stove, and the stairs are open tread, solid timber on steel.

The galley-style kitchen has two windows opening up estuary views, and has modern cream painted units with solid wood worktops, a ceramic sink and some of the original stone wall is left exposed as a reminder of the house’s roots.

VERDICT: A shore-fired thing, buckets of charm; canoeing, fishing and boating beckons.