The perfect retreat

THERE were at least nine retreat houses in Ardmore, Co Waterford at one stage - the Brothers and Sisters of various orders of the Catholic church made their way every summer to the village founded by St Declan.

And while the pilgrimage was no doubt devout, there was also the chance for a bracing dip in Ardmore’s celebrated bay.

Today’s generation may only be familiar with head-to-toe dressing from coverage of the Middle East, but pre-Vatican 2, the chador was quite a familiar site in the classrooms, hospitals and convents of Ireland. And for that reason, going for a dip was a risky business with the brothers and sisters finding quiet coves and off-peak moments to embrace the power of God’s ocean. There are still a number of retreat houses in use in the West Waterford village, but the numbers have dwindled along with vocations.

In use up to this summer, one of the Presentation Sisters properties in the village was still in use, but is now up for sale with auctioneer, Pat Quirke of PF Quirke and Co, Clonmel. This simple, period property has attracted strong interest already, says Mr Quirke, who’s taking the four-bedroomed house to auction on the 19th of October next. Given a provisional guide price of €600,000, the retreat has a very attractive, acre site on a four-road cross in the village. The possibility of developer interest is there, but Mr Quirke throws cold water on this possibility:

“It’s not an angle we’re promoting and a lot of the adjoining properties are listed. Maybe there’s the possibility of one or two larger units on the site, but it’s an area that’s probably not suitable for large scale development.”

Set behind high walls and with extensive lawns, mature trees and shrubs, an orchard and enclosed yard to the rear, this property has the potential to be a hugely impressive residence with some investment, he adds, and enquiries so far have been evenly divided between potential holiday home buyers and purchasers looking for a main residence.

Ardmore is well situated midway between Cork and Waterford and is an easy commute to both on good roads. A monastic settlement before St Patrick arrived on these shores, it’s the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland: St Declan is said to have landed in Lismore some time in the 5th century AD. Famous for its Round Tower and Cathedral, the west wing is filled with carved panels from scripture in the Celtic style, images which are still used frequently today.

The retreat house is in vintage condition, that’s to say that it hasn’t been given any modern makeover, save for one tiled fireplace and a shower room. Otherwise, it’s in a state of grace with lovely old sash windows, working shutters and an old kitchen with Belfast sink and wooden drainer. This area will certainly be changed by new owners, says Mr Quirke, but the house is in good condition overall and has four, very large bedrooms, a sitting room, dining room, study and kitchen/breakfast area, as well as a kitchenette. A two storey annexe at the back houses a garage and a WC and would be suitable for conversion.