Seaside cottage in wooded setting

LAST up for sale two years ago, but withdrawn from the market for a period by its owner the sculptor Eilis O'Connell, Castlefreke Cottage is a West Cork seaside buy with an auction sale deadline.

The compact mid-1900s bungalow/cottage is on a site that belies its modest appearance, a full half acre or so on the edge of the part-wooded Castlefreke Estate. The massive grassy dunes separate this house from the wild Atlantic: they give welcome winter shelter, but they also block the sea views.

It goes up for sale by auction in early December with Martin Kelleher of SWS Property Services, with a €275,000 price guide, which will surely be met.

The old south lodge building to Castlefreke Estate sold recently, in poor order on a 0.2 acre site, for €255,000, and it was the coastal access point to the old estate's rocky but renovated escarpment farm buildings, now bought back privately by the Evans-Freke family who are based in North America.

SWS describe Castlefreke Cottage as "instantly appealing and superbly located, just 100 metres from glorious Long Strand, one of Ireland's premier surfing destinations, and a 10 minute drive from Clonakilty."

It has two bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen/dining space with solid fuel range, oil central heating, bathroom and some original character touches.