Steering a course for a safe harbour

Tommy Barker is impressed by the setting of a coastal bungalow.

MOUTH-WATERING. What else could it be, at the mouth of Glandore harbour in a spectacular, south-facing West Cork setting?

Reenogreena south is well named, from the Irish for ‘the path of the sun’, point out Ray O’Neill and Caroline Maslin of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill in Skibbereen, and their images of this extended cottage/bungalow three miles from Glandore, near Cregg, get the property location juices flowing.

It looks east towards the Galley Head lighthouse and long sandy beaches, while to the southwest Rabbit Island and the jutting Stags rocks hove into view. It is positioned to soak up the sun, its rising and setting, and when the gales whip around, it can be dramatically beautiful too.

It is on a half-acre, below the road by the end of the headland with cliff fringes, and the site is ringed in stone walls and battened-down shrubbery, with a large parking area, some lawns, a large double garage and a sun-trap patio.

It is guided by the agents at €895,000, who say there’s a scarcity of planning permissions in the scenic area, which means there’ll be few other chances to get to live in the vicinity, bar the occasional ‘born and reared in the area’ grants for new homes. They predict most interest from Dublin holiday home hunting families, some Cork city buyers and from those relocating from abroad.

A double-roofed dwelling, it is an older house which has been updated and extended over time, with regard for original character, and so has an original slate roof to the front, and slate is also used for the flooring in some of the rooms.

Although windows are in PVC, they retain the outline of the original sashes, with tilt and turn sections in the 10’ by 8’ porch-like conservatory, and most of the living space inside is exceptionally bright, say the agents.

The vendors of the three-bedroom home are a German couple, who’ve been in full-time occupation for a number of years, and they’ve kept up the improving programme here. One of the nicest rooms is the double-aspect master bedroom which has lots of windows and high-level shelving. It also has a spacious dressing room, which could double up as a nursery/child’s room.

There’s also a 15’ by 14’ living room with fireplace and kitchen hatch, and both this room and the kitchen have slate floors, as does the long utility room.

The bathroom has plumbing for laundry utilities, and also has access to bedroom one, while bedrooms two and three also share access to a second bathroom, and both washrooms have bidets and showers.

The coastal property is near Drombeg stone circle, and is three miles from Glandore, which buzzes with boating activity through the summer before going into winter slumber. Lively Union Hall is five miles away, and both Clonakilty and Skibbereen are about a 20-minute drive, while Cork city, airport and ferries are with a 75-90 minute drive.