Idyllic setting attracts the ‘monied people’

Tommy Barker

The story three weeks ago in the Irish Examiner about the sale of a derelict farmhouse on 22 acre with one kilometre of shore frontage set the pulses back racing in the incurably romantic.

So far, over 140 phone calls and requests for brochures have been logged by Martin Kelleher of SWS Property Services, who had the Dunworley bay place being sold by a US writer under offer at €218,000.

He says about 60% of calls came after the initial Examiner news piece, about 10% from the Internet, about 10% from a subsequent piece in the Irish Independent, a few more calls followed a Sunday Times write-up, and the rest of inquiries came from the sign, estate agent office exposure etc.

And, given the breadth of calls from around the world, perhaps surprisingly the bidding so far seems to be coming from locals and neighbours who know the lie of the land.

While the mix sounds idyllic, with 22 acres of stunningly situated headland, with your own inlets, shore frontage and old stone out-buildings, there are other factor to take into account.

The house needs re-building, or at the least major renovations, as well as waste disposal and other creature necessities and comforts which will drive the budget well beyond the selling price.

Crucially, access is via a mile long boreen with only right of way access: at present, only a four wheel drive is likely to get through - either that or high fishing wader wellies, and the house buyer will probably end up footing the bill for hardcore and levelling before even tempting a builder down to start renovations.

It is unlikely to get the cobble lock treatment.

“The Sunday after the Irish Examiner’s piece, it was like Fota Wildlife Park down there, the place was full of cars and jeeps, day-trippers and sight see-ers (site seeers?), said Mr Kelleher of SWS who clocked four foolscap pages of phone calls to return on the Monday morning.

“There’s a lot of monied people looking at it,” he commented - without adding that by the time the rough boreen and fields were traversed the successful viewers could qualify as the filthy rich.

He won’t hazard a guess as to what it will sell for eventually, or for what use.

It could be a hermit’s retreat - in which case the road won’t need much fixing, a holiday home, a full time spot for someone who doesn’t plan on going out too often, or even made work for a living as a holistic type retreat where fresh air will never be in doubt or short supply.