West Cork stone home comes with its very own protected ring fort

By Rose Martin

This three-bed farmhouse does and the owners have resisted the temptation to embellish this domestic monument.

Ring forts are dotted around the country, and while the larger ones were used for defence, the smaller variety were homesteads, or used for gathering cattle.

Souterrains are underground passages used for storing perishables, mostly, but again, in the larger ring-forts and cashels, these were used as hides or underground escape routes.

The superstitions surrounding 'fairy forts' has ensured they weren't ploughed under now Dúchas is picking up where fear has left off and this particular fort would be a protected structure.

Which means new owners of Ring Fort Cottage will have to leave well enough alone. But having one's own bit of history in the back garden could be the draw as well as the asking price of 250,000.

The house, while not being on the coast, has sea views and is located midway between Durrus and Ballydehob.

According to Maria Harrington of Key Properties, it's been renovated to a good standard and has a high ceiling, slate roof and thick, stone walls.

With three bedrooms, a bathroom, living room with inglenook fireplace, and a sitting room, the house also has an attached dairy which is ripe for conversion, says Ms Harrington.

The gardens run to three-quarters of an acre and come with a vegetable patch, picnic area and a log cabin which is often used as a summer hut.