Water frontage puts the wind in the sails of prestigious property prices

WATER frontage has come up trumps yet again in the smooth sales of properties, in West Cork and West Waterford, with the Blackwater now also firmly ensconced as a location for quality lifestyles.

International former Round the World yachtsman Laurie Smith has chosen a beachfront property near Glandore in Cork as a spot to drop a residential anchor in: he paid €1.5 million for Cregg House by Tralong beach, a period farmhouse on 16 acres.

And, heading east and slightly inwards along the Munster coast, the 4,000 sq ft, cut stone and L-shaped barn at Tourin Quay near Lismore sold at a very competitive auction in Waterford last week, making €510,000.

It was bought in trust via agent Michael H Daniels by a family based in the UK but with local links, and was sold by Eamonn Spratt of the Property Partners franchise. He said interest was three-fold, with limited local interest, some international bids and very strong Irish interest.

Bidding opened at €300,000 with seven different bidders in pursuit, and three were prepared to go beyond €450,000 for a conversion project place which will swallow cash, but which has a magical Blackwater river setting at Tourin Quay.

“It shows that west Waterford and Blackwater is up there with Kerry and West Cork in the residential and recreation popularity stakes,” suggested Mr Spratt.

Meanwhile, Cregg House - about two miles from Glandore - made bang on its €1.5 million guide with agent Charles P McCarthy.

The mix here included a two-storey house in need of modernsation, but with a rolling sweep of land (16 acres) down to shingly beaches, a converted 800 sq ft barn, tractor shed - and a boathouse.

Its purchaser is renowned former round the world yachtsman Laurie Smith, whose parents have been visitors to Glandore for close on thirty years.