Perfect stone-built rural retreat

THERE was a time when being stoned in West Cork indicated a high-in-the-hills, hippy lifestyle. Now, it refers to the prevalent use of natural stone in house facades.

A house that took this past decade’s norm to the extreme is Suaimhneas, a three-year-old home near Leap which brought the stone finish from front to back via the side and even onto the garage.

“Most people just use stone on the front facade as it is so expensive, but the fact they used so much here indicated that no expense was spared,” notes estate agent Henry O’Leary of the Property Partners network.