Living up the creek

WATERSIDE homes in West Cork are like gold dust recently.

A deal has been quietly struck on a Skibbereen house, the Glebe, for E3 million, while another period home on land, Reenadhuna, has made close to E1 million and now another hot property enters the sales fray.

The Glebe, considerably re-built by its vendor, who bought Creagh House and Gardens two years ago, was sold in a private deal for around E3 million to a multi-millionaire businessman with Schull roots, showing the thirst for houses by the sea.

Fitting that bill, and for E750,000, is Creek House, where the world is your oyster.

Set at the water's edge in Drom Wood, just outside Castletownbere in the remotest part of West Cork, the property has its own yacht mooring and a pier just in front of the house.

And, its setting is literally up a creek, with a scenic wooded backdrop and enough water at the inlet to access by boat at any state of tide.

Up anchor, set the sails, and you can head to any corner of the earth, or just cruise the Irish coastline.

This coastal hideaway house was built 30 years ago, back in 1973 when its architecture would have been almost revolutionary along this country's shores: it is a fair bet that contemporary architects might come up with a very similar plan, and still consider it quite cutting edge.

Creek House is located near Dunboy Castle, steeped in Irish history as the original home of Donal O'Sullivan Bere and alongside that castle ruin are the burned-out remains of the Puxley mansion, which features in Daphne du Maurier's Hungry Hill.

It is on two acres of grounds, with a private driveway behind stone walls if travelling by car, and either by road or by boat it is less than two miles from Castletownbere, one of Ireland's busiest fishing ports.

Selling agent for Creek House is Charles McCarthy in Skibbereen, also involved in the sale of Reenadhuna and who declined to comment on the local reports of the Glebe sale. He seeks offers over E750,000, and says the location is exceptionally beautiful, with the Gulf Stream-warmed waters at the end of the gardens containing many semi-tropical plants.

With its flat-roof architecture and 700 sq ft terrace just off the living room, Creek House was originally built by a Dutch man, and now the current owner is from the UK and has used it as a ready-made all-weather base from which to sail his ketch yacht.

Aspect is south facing, overlooking the water, and one of the best features is the large terrace a deck on land, as it were, with thick marine rope as a safety rail run through sturdy posts.

The house itself has an open plan kitchen/dining/living space 36' by 29' in an L-shape, with cedar ceiling, open fireplace, sliding patio doors to the terrace, and a new surround sound stereo installed.

There are three/four bedrooms; one is currently used as a study, and the master bedroom has a shower en suite. Underneath is a basement store with new oil boiler, and outside is a boat store and garden shed.