Bidders can take a punt on boathouse value

FANCY a punt at something a bit different in the property market?

The chance to push the boat out, and pull it back in again, in both property and maritime manners has come up in Passage West in Cork harbour.

An old boathouse with a slip, on a half an acre of water-fronting ground by the amenity walk on the approach side to the town is up for sale by tender.

The foreshore spot is a bit of a novelty, considered unlikely to have any significant development potential other than related boat use which should limit its sale value some bit for those keen to stick an oar in.

It dates back to 1912, when boat-builder Tom Roche began making rowing and fishing boats at this location, and subsequently another boat maker Pearse Power and his son, Christy, kept the tradition alive, rebuilding the existing 3,000 sq ft shed in the 1950s.

There’s been a renewal of interest in yawl-boat making in recent years and coastal rowing, so perhaps this shed could get pressed back into its proper service. The boathouse may suit a group like Meitheal Mara, or a group or club like Venture Scouts, or a private buyer with a boat to shelter might come forward.

No guide price is being given, but it surely will head upriver of the €100,000 mark.

How much further it goes will depend on a buyer’s uses and aspirations for the property.

Selling agent is Roy Dennehy in Carrigaline, who admits it is a hard one to call on value.

“Buyers will have to look into their hearts, and wallets, to determine what they feel it is worth,” he says with the luxury of a sale by tender in front of him.

Location is at Toureen, near the national school and the period home Horsehead, with a new up-market niche residential development due for a market launch within weeks.