Cottage beautifully restored

Tommy Barker is charmed by scenic Castle Lodge renovation.

IT is just a coincidence, or perhaps fate, but the vendor of Castle Lodge, overlooking the ruins of Castle Donovan, and shares the Donovan name.

Maria O’Donovan has a mixed background, in auctioneering and interiors, and the evidence of both work mind-sets is clear in her home which is up for sale in its renovated state.

The castle, the seat of the O’Donovan Clan, is being renovated, and surely will be a harder slog than the graft put into this scenically-set cottage restoration, originally built 150 years ago.

“Working in the auctioneering business in west Cork, the first thing that struck me was its quaintness, and that all the original features were still as they were when it was built. I also noted that it enjoys all day sunshine, as the location has 360 degree views. and, although quiet, I also noticed how central a location Castledonovan was, in west Cork, with Bantry and Dunmanway 10 minutes drive, and the local shop five minutes away. Even the coast by Skibbereen is only 25 minutes drive,” says Maria.

Maria and her builder-husband Francis bought here in August 2000, and a weekend later had the roof off!

Within a month the render from the front wall was coming off and by Christmas the roof was back on, and interior work had started (“I had hoped to be in the house for that first Christmas, but had completely under-estimated the work that goes into renovating an old building!” recalls Maria.

On a trip to Rome she took a photo of a tiled floor in a villa outside the city, and that became the inspiration for the kitchen floor in Castle Lodge, says Maria who now works in a tile showrooms.

“I’m now working with the finest tiles from Italy, and helping clients design their own homes, nowadays with marble, Versache and home spas, thanks to the Celtic Tiger,” she quips.

The main room here is open plan, mixing living and kitchen, as Maria notes: “this is the contemporary way of living, nobody wants to be shut away in a room anymore.”

Original rough plaster walls have been retained, as have ceiling beams, along with an old bog oak beam (with date/inscription found carved in it in Roman numerals) over the fireplace.

There’s a kitchen and bathroom in the 1950s extension, and space and an ope has been set aside for further extension, with foundation in place, currently used as a patio.

New insulation is in place in the roof, walls and floors and, according to Maria, the whole house was rewired, re-plumbed, and teak double glazed half doors and sash windows were fitted before the decor theme took it to new farmhouse chic comfort levels, compete with two characterful bedrooms.

Castle Lodge is now complete, and is on available via O’Donovan Murphy in Bantry, with a price guide of €250,000.