Rossmore an ideal retreat

MICHAEL FLATLEY tried to get planning permission to build a 9,000 sq ft holiday ‘cottage’ here, on 50 acres of Kerry’s sublime Rossmore Island, but was controversially refused by planners given its Special Area of Conservation status and the scale of his plans.

Might he be lured by the more modest Rossmore House? It’s a hassle-free walk-in, or a shoe-in, for the famed and fabulously wealthy dancer – or for anyone else seeking a private, remote coastal retreat.

Built in the 1970s, extended again in 1999 by its UK-based careful owners who spotted the site’s potential when on sailing holidays in the bay, and now with a new replacement 2010 boathouse and launch slip installed, it’s very special hideaway indeed – and it won’t cost millions to buy.