Modernised home with historic past in wild West Cork

An unerring eye for restoration has ensured this Famine era home on 30 acres stands out from the crowd, writes Tommy Barker

IT’S either a feast, or a famine, when it comes to headland houses in wild West Cork: this home, at Casltemeighan, combines both.

A supremely comfortable house, on 30 elevated acres with Atlantic and Fastnet views from its 500’ above sea level setting, it has the highest of comfort levels inside and out — in contrast to its past as a part of a local, abandoned, Famine village.

Newly up for sale, this house last changed hands eight years ago when sold on behalf of the family of the late Swedish resturant owner Max Willborg, who lived here for a number of years and had other Goleen/Crookhaven property interests.

A number of the old stone dwellings from the 1800s have been brought back from their days of abandonment, but none has the mix enjoyed by this rare offering.

It was bought in the early 2000s by its current owners, who started in on its extension and overhaul about six years ago, and it has been done with an unerring eye and a sense of maximising the glories of the setting.

So, there’s a large open living space as part of and linking into the front sun room, glazed on three sides, and supreme in all that it surveys. The master bedroom, directly overhead, has a front gable window with telescope placed for sweeping sea surveys: the owners say you can track all of the boat, yacht, dinghy and fishing craft traffic in and out of safe sailing mecca and boat berth Crookhaven from up here.

Also hoving into view is the Fastnet rock and lighthouse, and at night the beam reassuringly sweeps through the bedroom windows here.

Yet, there’s hardly a place where this house can be seen from, given that it is tucked back into a step on the rocky and gorse strewn landscape. So, to get back to the views right below the hill’s dip, there’s a primely sited rounded deck and balcony, done in a composite material for ease of keeping and maintenance.

Garden landscape plans are by Brian Cross, physically delivered by Charlie O’Leary of The Pavilion, Ballygarvan, with plants thrive and looking naturally at home here; despite the winter winds and elevation, there’s a surprising amount of lushness and colour to look forward to come summer.

Although this house is on 30 acres of land, it is rough grazing and rock — it’s hardly likely you’ll have to maintain it, but sheep could be profitable in sections. That, and beds of mint, to go with lashings of spring lamb, anyone?

Mint of a different order — mint condition” — describes the house’s decor and condition, says its selling agent Maeve McCarthy of Charles P McCarthy auctioneers in Skibbereen.

She guides the 2,000 sq ft five bed home on its large amount of land at €695,000 and comments “it’s one of the very best renovation jobs I’ve seen in West Cork, it’s so impressive, and the setting is extraordinary”.

The owners drafted in Bantry architects Daly Barry to blend a new extension with the original cottage, and the end result is quietly impressive, there’s no flashiness, and the entire is suitably deferential to the vernacular. So, there’s some exposed stone, smooth render, slate roofs and red ridge tiles, timber windows in traditional style, painted a soft purple or mauve for a slight modern look from the outside.

Builders were the highly regarded local Bantry area firm of Chom Construction, and the build/rebuild period was about eight months after planning was secured. The owners are high in their praises of their workmanship — “they’d drive back to Bantry for a nail if they had to rather than take a short cut”.

Testament to the build quality is the fact the finished house now weighs in at a B3 BER energy efficiency rating, impressive for a pre-Famine times original build. Heating is oil-fired, with double glazing, and when the Irish Examiner visited last weekend the heating had been off for most of the month, yet it felt dry, and warm. “By the time you have the car emptied and bags in the door the place has warmed up,” say the family owners who arrive en masse, spanning three generations.

It’s a surprisingly big and accommodating house, with two ground floor bedrooms nicely spread apart at the back of the house, one facing east, the other a slender one facing west, with immensely thick walls and window sills. Overhead are three more bedrooms, with master bed en suite making for three bathrooms in all — so no queues for loos and showers when the place is bustling.

Internally, the house is split level, or at least stepped, rising up a tread or two as you go back deeper inside, and there’s a snug, perfect winter ‘withdrawing’ room to the rear, with a retained old original stone wall the back with a solid fuel stove set in pride of place in its centre.

As well as this, plus the open plan living/sun room space, there are a few niche alcoves with desks and seating spots, and then off beyond the U-shaped kitchen with painted hardwood units (and walnut worktops) is the dining space, with twin ship-like suspended lights over the large and accommodating tables.

The kitchen’s a good design, very practical, with range cooker to the back and sink by the window for view, soaking as you dish-wash. Again, parts of this space have kept some exposed stone internally as reminder of the house’s old roots, while floors here practically are terracotta tile. Elsewhere, in the main living space, the floor is engineered timber, and carpets upstairs and in the bedrooms are soft underfoot and wool-rich (see? another reason to keep sheep out in the grounds. It’s a coming trend: grow your own wool carpets!)

There’s an understated marine feel to some of the decor, and the owners drafted in the services of freelance interior designer Sarah Murphy, linked to Designers Library Douglas for some contacts and advice.

Although it has all been done for nigh on six years now, and there’s been huge family hustle and bustle here on holiday visits, the feeling still is almost of brand-new showhouse quality, a testament to buying top-of the range items and furniture; it really does stand the test of time.

Thus, much of the furniture was bought in the likes of the very high-end Bandon shop Belissima and Brown Thomas, as well as Boulevard Interiors, doing well on Cork’s Donnybrook hill, a very friendly service and a good range, say the delighted owners here.

The kitchen came from O’Mahony O’Donovan in Carrigaline, and what’s encouraging in talking to the family, who’ve hugely enjoyed their years in this retreat, is the smoothness of it all, professional and craftspeople all doing a high-level service without need for fuss.

Location of this coastal idyll is off the old, high coast road from Goleen to Crookhaven and Barleycove, privately set but not isolated, sharing its hillside with a handful of other renovated houses which formed the original Famine village.

It’s about four miles from Goleen and its village services and amenities, and a couple of miles from beaches, Crookhaven and its buzzing holiday atmosphere and sailing school.

As it comes to market, carrying a €695,000 guide price via agents Charles P McCarthy & Co, the agents have a quiet confidence about its sales prospects.

“There’s 30 acres of land, privacy, a feature natural pond for wildlife, no one can ever build in front of you or threaten the view, and the house has been so well done, it’s going to impress anyone who looks at it,” says Maeve McCarthy.

The expectation is that viewing will come, in the main, from UK and Continental Europeans, but it’s of such a mix that some Cork buyers might decide to make the jump as well for a fully-finished package. Just turn on the heating, and by the time the car (or SUV) is unpacked you’ll be snugly at home.