Not Forenaught, but for €195,000

THIS is the time to pick up that west Cork cottage you’ve always dreamed about. If you’re not averse to a quick car journey to the sea, the choice is pretty good.

A case in point is this lovely farmhouse at Forenaught, Castletownshend. It’s a mile and half from Rineen pier and, as selling agent Pat Maguire says, it is in a triangle between Castletownshend, Skibbereen and Union Hall: there are lots of beaches within a three to four mile range.

And it’s just an hour’s commute from Cork city, which means it would get use as a second home, or could continue as it is, a main residence.

The guide price here is very attractive, at €195,000, and while there are only two bedrooms, there’s plenty of living space and the option of integrating a courtyard of buildings, opposite the farmhouse, into the main flow.

This could be achieved with a glass link or corridor, and would create a sheltered, outdoor living space between sheds and house.

The main building has been gently restored over time and is a move-in proposition. There’s a sitting room with stove and beamed ceiling, a farmhouse kitchen and dining room with double doors to a patio, and a main bathroom, with two double bedrooms, (and built-ins) overhead.

“This has been a labour of love for the past 12 years and it’s a pretty plot with maturity and the potential of the outbuildings,” says Pat Maguire.

“It’s a great bolt-hole and is only an hour from the city. All you can hear is the birds and there’s isn’t a cat or dog in sight. You can hear nothing else.”