Sheep’s Head land boasts beautiful landscape in a sought-after part of West Cork

The Sheep’s Head Peninsula is a sought-after part of West Cork that set the trend in many ways for what would eventually become the Wild Atlantic Way.

It was the international success of the Sheep’s Head Way, a small but spectacularly beautiful packaged piece of walkers’ paradise, that served as one of the blueprints that was followed by the designers of the large-scale national route that has brought so many new visitors to Ireland.

On the Sheep’s Head Way, the success of marrying tourism and agriculture has become a way of life and in many ways, a current offering from Bantry-based auctioneers REA Celtic Properties encapsulates practice of mixing the activities of tourism, sheep-farming, dairying and other agricultural activities.

The residential farm consists of 85 acres of some of the most beautifully scenic fields in West Cork, with southerly vistas across Dunmanus Bay.

The Sheep’s Head Way and the Wild Atlantic Way are running alongside and close by.

The quality of the land varies from what the auctioneer describes as “good quality land” to rough grazing, commonage and poor pasture more suitable for forestry planting.

“It’s a combination of all types of land, really,” says John O’Neill.

“There would be about 25 acres or so of good land… There would be rough grazing as well as portions which are suitable for forestry and extensive commonage.”

There is direct access to the farm from the public road and the dwelling on the land is, according to the agent, in “solid condition, with good walls and roof”, although it hasn’t been lived in for some time and would need considerable refurbishment.

“Dependent on the purchaser, the property could be knocked and rebuilt or restored with its character maintained,” says Mr O’Neill.

It will make an intriguing prospect as to who will buy it next and what they will do with it.

At a price guide somewhere in the region of €400,000 (ca. €4,700/acre), it should fall within the reach of a variety of interested parties.

The optimum result might be a farm with some tourist activity attached to it.

In this part of the world, it’s a long-established recipe for success.