An adventure to Canada leaves opportunity in Cobh

A FAMILY move to Canada for lifestyle and employment reasons brings the 2002-built home Coolinarrig, French’s Avenue, in Cobh to market.

The couple who built this bungalow as the property market continued its ascendancy in 2002, and who added to it again at peak time in 2006 with a conservatory and other features, are going to North America, Rockies-bound, to a country that is seen as a bit of a jobs lifeline for the Irish right now.

An application for permanent residency came through in October of this year, and now John and Moira Walsh, aged in their late 30s and with 10-year-old daughter Caoimhe are selling up Coolinarrig – named after a family home in Wicklow, and derived from the Irish word for ‘penitent’. But they leave with few regrets: it is a lifestyle choice, rather than a recession-driven necessity.

John is an electrician with the Irish Navy, and Moira worked for 13 years in marketing and HR for Heineken/Murphy Brewery and took advantage of a redundancy package after it amalgamated with Beamish and Crawford. Moira – who says she loves the world of stout – has applied for work with the Molson Brewery in Canada, owned by Heineken and brewers of Coors among other beers.

“We have wanted to move to Canada for many years as we love the lifestyle, open spaces, proper seasons and greater opportunities for our daughter Caoimhe.

“All of our monies are spent on travelling as much as possible, mainly to the United States in the past few years, so it makes sense to actually base ourselves on the other side of the water,” adds Moira.

The Walshs built their own home back in 2002, within a walk of services, shops and schools at French’s Avenue, and kept it right up to speed in terms of finish and decor, adding a conservatory and en suite a few years later, mostly done with an eye to good Feng Shui principles like clean lines, open space and lack of clutter.

Liz Hannon of English Auctioneers is selling for the Walshs, and stresses the four-bed home’s privacy, good site on the western side of the town with tended veg patch and Barna shed, quality of finish (“pristine,” she says) and character.

Coolinarrig has a kitchen in rich cherry wood, oil central heating, wood-effect double glazing, and – as the Walshs are crossing the Atlantic – they won’t be looking to take carpets, curtains or any other such stuff with them. A walk-in, shoe-in, shoo-out job.