Join the Costa del Glandore set with €1.5m period home

GOLDEN Glandore in west Cork has a lot going for it, but one vital ingredient is missing, a beach.

There's a certain loftiness to the area, both in terms of location and prices. It is certainly not the sort of place to cultivate the bucket and spade brigade, to quote a questionable sentiment.

But, hey, wait, there is a beach not too far away. Tralong is little known and appreciated only by a discerning few, with and without the spades.

The chance to buy into the beauty of Tralong has cropped up with the sale of the period-style Cregg House, dating to the 19th century and on 16 acres of grounds with direct beach access to two sandy beaches.

Fortunately, no-one can own a beach. They are public up as far as the high tide mark and there is public access to Tralong. But, heck, there's enough sand, shingle and shore-line here to share. (Try shaying that after a few hours' shipping shangria in the shun.)

Cregg House is on the market with Skibbereen-based Charles McCarthy, guiding at €1.5 million-plus. It has four bedrooms in the main residence, two bathrooms, kitchen, two reception rooms and halls.

Outside, there's a partly-converted old stone barn building of about 800 sq ft with guest cottage potential, plus a boat house. The house is set into a shelter-belt of trees, some of them semi-tropical, and most of the land is in pasture.

There's considerable charm and privacy, but the house needs work and investment to give it the sort of edge and finish that the site deserves. So, it's back to the bucket and spade brigade, though this time, in the hands of builders.