Little gem in a waterside resort that's on the way up

Rose Martin finds a rarity nestled near the pretty village of Crosshaven.

THERE are certain indicators of an area on the way up – in Crosshaven, it’s the chip hut being turned into a flower shop.

Orchids instead of batter burgers could be seen as a strong symbol of gentrification – along with the usual hanging baskets and the turquoise blaze of pesto-selling supermarkets.

Old Crosshaven glimmers through the gloss, retaining the clipped-hedged propriety of its Victorian beginnings, despite modernisation.

Old Crosshaven House is sparkling in polished limestone livery and overlooks one of those ubiquitous roundabouts in the former village square.

And then, there’s the Point Road, one of those subtly good residential areas of Greater Cork – along with its neighbour, Currabinny across the water.

When the heyday of the day excursions to ‘the bays’ passed and the doldrums of the ’80s happened, those with a keen sense of real estate, (and with taste and discretion, too) plumped for a pad on the Point Road.

Cloonlish was an early arrival on the cul-de-sac (it’s easier to walk than to drive here), and was built as part of a trio of cedar summer houses, by Dublin merchant family, the Winstons.

It has the distinction of being the last undeveloped site on this narrow little boreen.

All of those facing the water have been remodelled or demolished and rebuilt in the interim.

Cloonlish is in a state of grace, a shrouded, water-fronting house with a lush boundary of herbaceous borders.

It’s a simple enough property, but utterly unpredictable and has a magpie’s nest assortment of antiques, fine furnishings and objets d’art.

A little gem, in other words.

Outside, there’s a three-car parking space at the road, (a rarity at this address) with steps dropping down through a tree-lined garden to the house.

There’s a west-facing terrace on the approach, with an abundance of potted plants, shrubs and beds and the informal entrance is through a south-facing sunroom, which also gets the western sun.

This leads through to a country style kitchen/ breakfast room with hand-painted units and solid wood worktop.

A big old dresser sits on one wall with a fine display of ironstone and from here, there’s access to the main living space.

Broken up into dining and living space, it has a wall of full-length windows overlooking the bay, with the spire of Cobh cathedral in the distance, Currabinny to the west and Spike Island in the foreground. The views take in an impressive, 180 degree panorama over the broad reaches of Cork harbour.

An open-plan living room/ snug leads through to the house’s two bedrooms.

One, a double room again faces the water and is adjoined by a huge master suite. This comes with full bathroom, a bedroom of 16’ by 17’, with four-poster bed and two large closets.

French doors lead through a climber-clad pergola and to a decked terrace, which can accommodate a large table and chairs. Again, this spot looks over the ocean, and has a great, south-westerly aspect.

The grounds of a third of an acre include direct access to the foreshore and neighbouring properties have made the most of this valuable asset.

According to Malcolm Tyrrell of Cohalan Downing, Cloonlish has unlimited potential. It could stay exactly as it is, he says, but more likely, will be re-structured or rebuilt, as waterfront sites are so rare.

Again, he stresses that it’s the only remaining undeveloped site on this side of the road and for that reason, gives a guide of €750,000 on the property, and he’s open to offers in that region.