Tee off with a birdie

By Tommy Barker

You have to work at getting a property deal like this... or just buy it off one of the past-presidents.

The Herons, a stunning modern home at Barrow, Ardfert, Co Kerry, is described as “simply perfect,” by estate agents Donal O’Connell and Paul Stephenson of Sherry FitzGerald O’Connell.

He is selling The Herons, with its €650,000 price guide, for Michael and Joan Hennebery. Michael, a Tralee businessman, has been both captain and president of the Tralee Golf Club, and with the club’s international members profile it is a house that could find an appreciative buyer from Kerry or from much further afield.

“It is packed with features and quality materials; nothing was spared when the property was finished off,” Mr Stephenson enthuses.

Just a few minutes’ downhill walk from the famous Tralee golf course, with views over Barrow harbour, the Herons is a 2,000 sq ft mid-1990s home on a three-quarter acre site.

The exterior is characterised by strong design touches, such as deep eaves, stone facade, and bay windows with a generous sweep to them.

The quality interior tone is set from the outset, or inset, with an Italian marble hall floor, reflecting light streaming down from an overhead feature dome.

It currently has just three bedrooms, two of them ensuite, and the master bedroom is really deserving of the name and has large walk in wardrobes (the others have double built-ins), but the attic is floored an ideal for a move upstairs if more bedrooms are needed.

Living quarters are plush, with the lounge and dining rooms with rich chestnut floors and both have dramatically deep bay windows with bay views, while the living room has French doors to a suntrapping stone patio.

The kitchen is in maple, with marble work tops and a tiled floor, and again light floods down to the work areas from an overhead Velux window by day and recessed lighting by night.

A utility room continues the maple wood theme, while the main bathroom, done on a black and white theme, has a circular bath, and is extensively tiled.

Features include a detached multi-purpose outbuilding (store your golf clubs here) external lighting throughout, a zoned oil central heating system and electronical access gates.

And golf up the road, with a possible membership introduction from the vendor.