Alluring call of the wild
The ancient alluvial oak forest, flooded by the ESB in the 1950s at the Gearagh, is a wintering spot for migratory birds and a conduit for quacks of delight from new arrivals.
And, the moody, starkly beautiful landscape of flooded ancient tree stumps is a sight to behold at any time of the year, as well as being part of the Lee Valley waterways.
On the domestic habitation front, one of the eye-catching features of this place just a couple of miles outside Macroom in Co Cork is pretty, stone-fronted Gearagh Cottage but when its vendors came to it in 1988 it wasn't even visible.
"I'd heard there was an unlived-in cottage out the road, but I drove past and couldn't find it, it was so overgrown," says John P Quinlan, who built it back up to a pretty fine state of health in the space of a year.
He's a man of many careers: starting in accountancy, he worked overseas for a number of years, returned to his native Macroom to open a pub the legendary JP Quinlan's, the originator in the 1980s of the old pine, salvage, brick and stone decor and theme.
The place rocked and rolled in the business back then, eventually prompting John P and his wife, Dubliner Brigin, to move out from overhead the bar to Gearagh Cottage.
It took immense briar clearing, extension and rebuilding to get to its current picturesque 'original' look.
Along the way, JP also took to auctioneering, Brigin opened a craft gallery and once again this year it has won a top award for its spread of goods. Over the past few years again, John P has moved from crafts into the arts, running the Vanguard Gallery in Carey's Lane in Cork city, and promoting Irish artists (he rounded up 78 of them for a massive exhibition in Millstreet during the 1993 Eurovision Song contest).
Their family home is a great backdrop for displaying the art and craft pieces they personally favour, and has a mix of exposed stone walls, painted walls, feature fireplaces and lots of quality woodwork inside and out.
With three boys growing up, John and Brigin are looking to move back to Macroom town itself, and are putting Gearagh Cottage on the market with local agents Tom Heffernan of Sherry FitzGerald Hinchion, and O'Mahony Walsh Property Partners.
The price guide invites offers of over 350,000, for this visually
appealing home with a history, quality re-build and unique location, on the edge of a wildlife habitat, a couple of miles from Macroom and about 30 miles from Cork city. If even a couple of bidders who fall for its charms get involved in bidding, the price could be expected to go even higher.
It is on grounds of up to one acre, and has about 1,500 sq ft of space with three bedrooms, two reception rooms, glazed entrance porch, bathroom, and 23' by 14' kitchen/dining room in the stone-fronted extension.
Features include maple floor and French doors to the patio in the lounge, living room with large open fireplace and clevy, beamed ceiling and polished oak floor in the kitchen as well as more French doors, some exposed stone and wood beams in the bedrooms, dual central heating and a double garage. And the Gearagh across the road.
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