The catch of the day

THE only singer in the house is the Singer sewing machine, say the owners of Kinsale’s Fisherman’s Hall, a place that hits the right note on all other fronts.

Built around 1870, the stone-built hall, currently a family home, is a prime catch in the middle of one of the south’s busiest tourist towns.

Originally built for religious services for fishermen visiting Kinsale from Cornwall and the Isle of Man and other far-flung parts, it is up for sale and could be bought for continued domestic use, or possibly switched to a commercial usage - it would make for a dramatic restaurant, gallery or B&B.

It was bought in the early 1990s as an empty shell by Declan and Margaret Corrigan, and is home to their four boys, twins Oisín and Fiachra, Eanna and Ferdia - all talented musicians, and multi-award winners at All-Ireland Fleadhanna Cheoil.

“We had an open house on New Year’s Day for the Millennium, the place was packed with friends and it was just magical,” say Declan and Margaret, also no mean fiddlers.

Location is in the heart of the town, at the foot of a hill, with Acton’s Hotel in front and the cliff-face of the Ramparts behind.

A skilful intervention and conversion, miraculously done on a family income budget, saw up to six bedrooms put in here, and the piece de resistance is the portion to the front, where the original full-height proportions have been retained in the main living room, almost 24’ square and about the same height to the immaculate wood pitched roof.

Up above this is an en suite master bedroom, and double doors and a sash window divide the bedroom from the hall space, with a spacious curved minster’s gallery an appropriate insertion.

The building (see also pages 24 and 25 for fuller pictorial display) has a playground yard to the back bedecked with fishing memorabilia, is home to a Canadian canoe and store for rods.

Guide price is €650,000, with inquiries being handled through Michael Enright and Co solicitors in Cork city.

The place has two reception rooms, study/library area, kitchen/dining room with solid fuel stove and painted units, a cosy family room, the other a very large and airy main living room with stunning feature gable window and new stained glass inserts.