Hunt is on to secure pretty farmhouse for horsy buyer

THERE'S a bit a hunt on for Fountain House, a fetching-looking stone-faced Irish farmhouse with a bit of extra oomph in its external appearance and enough land around it for horses.

Over 30 viewings have taken place to date, after an initial flurry of ads in these pages and in magazines like Horse and Hound.

And, those still left in the home hunt include city-bound residents looking to escape to the country, and UK buyers looking for an Irish base.

The UK mix includes returning emigrants, says estate agent Michael H Daniels.

He put Fountain House, on its 21 acres up, for sale guiding €500,000, but within weeks it has gone over 630,000 in bids, and is likely to go closer to 700,000 in the heel of the hunt.

The house can be bought on two acres, and the balance of 19 acres of land in pasture and in four divisions can be hived off.

There is interest in all the permutations, says Mr Daniels, who points out the property, attractive and all as it appears in photographs, needs work.

The house has been changed down the years by various owners, and probably started off life as a standard two-storey traditional farmhouse. The windows have been changed in recent decades, the openings have been enlarged with little shoulder plaster panels around them, and the front door has also been given a slightly grander look by the addition of a cut-stone head over the entrance.

The exposed limestone facade quite possibly too is a romantic figary, though the overall impression is pleasing to the eye.

The gardens add to the appeal, with a wide variety of planting, including hedging, palms, beds and lawns.

And, there's a modest feature fountain to justify the house's name.

Apart from the house, there is a lofted stone barn, ivy clad, which could make a studio or office, four stables, and some modern farm buildings (cattle shed and hay barn).

And so to the house.

It has a sitting room, 17' by 13' with open fireplace, dining room which is similarly sized, family room with fireplace, a double glazed PVC Victorian style conservatory, kitchen with pine units, utility and four bedrooms, one with en suite, plus two other bathrooms. Most viewers passing through have seen scope for re-ordering the lay-out of the rooms, the bathrooms will need work and general the buying part of the deal won't be the end of the spending, but the compact enough size of the house means the extra expenditure won't be too prohibitive.

Location is just three miles from Midleton, off the N25, half an hour from Cork city and airport, with a range of beaches across East Cork and golf, sailing and other sporting activities for those that want to give the horses a rest.