Pushing the boat out

IS he pushing the boat out, or drawing them in?

Developer David Dwyer is dipping more than his toes in the West Cork property market - he is immersing himself with a €40 million scheme which now includes a €10 million 190-berth marina for the fishing and sailing village of Baltimore, as well as continuing two schemes of holiday homes, and is in final discussions with planners on a linked hotel plan.

The hotel plan includes 40 bedrooms and 40 suites, overlooking the marina which, it is estimated, would be worth €3 million a year to the local economy. Full planning was recently granted for the sizeable 190-berth marina, set to be a favoured port of call for the south’s yachting and boating fraternity, and Baltimore, sheltered by Sherkin Islands, is also popular with Continental sailors.

Its proposer, David Dwyer, whose family business is Rocksavage Engineering, has already developed in Cork city, on Bandon’s river quays, in Midleton and Baltimore, has 52 holiday homes coming on the market in Baltimore.

Fourteen of these have Section 23 tax reliefs, and are being offered by estate agent Pat Maguire of SWS Property Services, while Skibbereen-based Liam Hodnett has the balance of 38 holiday homes to private buyers.

The mixed development, called Mariners’ Cove, sees a variety of house sizes on offer, with the bigger price span and larger houses available to private buyers. The non-Section 23 houses range in size from 1,600 to 2,300 sq ft, and in price from €254,000 to €320,000, through Liam Hodnett auctioneers. The Section 23 properties go from €265,000 to €295,000 for houses of 1,450 to 1,800 sq ft, including VAT, while a fit-out package is a further €8,000 on top of the purchase price.

Architect for the Mariners Cove scheme is Bandon-based Una O’Sullivan, and showhouses are due to open at the end of the month.