Tranquil living at Harty’s Quay

Rose Martin says this waterside apartment will set you back €730,000, but what you get is a great view and 2,000 sq ft.

IT'S not until you get inside the gates, park in the basement, climb two flights of steps and cross a huge quadrangle, that you get the idea behind Harty's Quay.

The estuary.

Instead of the location mantra, substitute water, water, water.

This group of modern apartment blocks take a striking pose on their peninsular site off the Rochestown Road. It's not called Harty's Quay for nothin' the developers have built their own rampart which will eventually wrap around the whole development when all blocks are complete. And you can even moor a motorboat here and burn up the 500 acres or so of water that acts as a back garden.

On a crisp, spring day, this development is tranquil and almost remote you could hear a pin drop and the lower harbour stretches away to the horizon and is as still as a duck pond.

Within swimming distance, the larger houses of the Jacob's Island development are just about visible through a flank of trees. This is the latest scheme for MacCarthy Developments, who've created Harty's Quay, and which also has a superb, added-value, waterside location, along with large tracts of woodland and open space in a more family orientated environment.

Here on this side, the feel is very much more grown-up this is WC Fields territory children don't figure and there are no dogs or cats, the animals are barred in the management contract.

This adult enclave is private and very secure: you don't get in here without a key card and it adds to the sense of exclusivity.

And that doesn't come cheap despite their avant garde design, the apartments in Harty's Quay have been a phenomenal success and right now, the last penthouse in the present phase is up for sale at a cool €730,000.

Selling agent is Trish Stokes, New Homes director with Sherry FitzGerald, who says most of the properties here sold off the plans, with a waiting list for the next phase.

The penthouse on offer has 2,000 square feet of space, is fully furnished, and while the pieces are not included in the sale, purchasers can negotiate, it they wish, she says.

Access is directly from the parking basement, (or the long way round via the stairs), where there are two dedicated spaces, to a lobby where there are doors to just two penthouses.

Inside, there's a wide and roomy entrance hall with storage closets.

Glazed doors lead into the main living space which is treble height in one end of this roughly L-shaped room. Curtains here have an 18' drop, and while walls are orchid white throughout, the orange and flame red drapes of the living room add a strong contrast. The look is opulent: the deep pile, cream carpet begs for shoeless feet and runs through the main living/dining room which is flooded in light: at the kitchen end glistening black porcelain tiles take over.

Being a local company, MacCarthy Developments are committed to sourcing most of their products locally, says Michelle MacCarthy, a director of this family partnership who's responsible for the interior design.

Doran interiors provided the furniture, she says, and the high-end light fittings came from a number of Cork companies: the kitchen, which has an unusual high gloss white design, came from Exclusive Fitted Furniture. They also fitted the wardrobes in each of the three bedrooms which light up automatically when opened.

One of the apartment's two terraces opens directly off the living space and overlooks the water, while on the other side a similar balcony faces south over the complex's formal gardens, with direct access from two of the three bedrooms. All three are doubles and two are en-suite, with an extra large shower room in the master bedroom and a main bathroom.

Fully tiled and with top quality fittings, these are quite luxurious and all of the bathrooms have a light well directly overhead, which gets rid of the gloominess apparent in other apartment schemes.

The kitchen has pendant lights overhanging the upper units which pick up on the matt stainless steel tiles, and the steel look is continued in the plinth and integrated units.

The penthouse has a particular market, says Ms Stokes and will probably appeal to those selling more substantial properties in the Cork area.

As a downsizing option, this penthouse isn't quite the little bungalow of popular imagination it has too much 'wow' factor for that.

And it should also draw in the buyers who favour cabriolets above cars, and a roof top eyerie above the standard suburban model.

Harty's Quay Showhouse is open this Sunday from 3.00pm to 5.00pm.