Waterside cottage rare opportunity in right place

PLANNING permissions along west Cork’s Ilen river estuary are rare as waterhen’s teeth — and having a house as close to the water as Downriver Cottage is rarer still.

A local architect once remarked that the area’s planners have been so tight “you wouldn’t get permission for a flagpole” — though masts in this case, were part of the reason for a few rare grants of approval to build here near Skibbereen’s Church Cross.

A highly regarded and competent boat-builder, Mike Williams, who has regenerated a class of Hare Island Sloops, sought approval for a couple of waterside cottage to serve a demand for water-based tourism, and 10 years of so ago built two traditional-style cottage for rental to sailors.

Now, in the face of declining holiday rental demand and shorter seasons, he is selling one of the two houses, about 10 metres from the water’s edge, and with a pier giving access to berth craft two miles upriver from Baltimore,

New to market, Downriver Cottage has a €550,000 AMV via Skib agent Pat Maguire, who says the scarcity of houses in this setting will add to its value.

Sailing haven Baltimore is two miles away by boat, but is a 10 mile road drive around the scenic estuary, he notes, while Skib is a four mile spin. Many residents along the estuary use boats for secondary transport: one even has a hovercraft - noisy but fun.

Downriver is on an acre with patio, terrace and gravel drive, and has close to 1,800 sq ft of space, with four bedrooms, and a largely open plan living/dining/kitchen/sunroom, flooded with light.

And, although the Ilen river brings regular flooding worries for low-lying landowners and Skibbereen town, this house is well up above any flood levels.

The look is modern/traditional, with exposed wood beams, pine kitchen, tile floor, etc., and one of the four bedrooms in the dormer home is en suite, two have wash basin and there’s a main family bathroom with shower. There’s an open fire in the living space, study space and central heating.

The acre is private, with 180 degree views of the estuary, and the purchaser will have the use of (but not ownership of) a pier.