Historic setting for remarkable home on the bay

Seamark, overlooking Bantry Bay, is a wonder, writes Tommy Barker

Bring on the yacht, jet-ski, kayak, or even Noah’s Ark — the latter could be very appropriate for a family reunion of Biblical proportions, on Bantry Bay.

Legend (among many ancient Irish texts like the Book of Lacan, Leabhar Gabhala and the Annals of the Four Masters) has it that the very first person to set foot on Irish shores was a woman called Cesaire, a niece of Noah, of that same ark fame.

It’s recounted (though not in Genesis) that Cesaire arrived at Donemark, on Bantry’s shoreline, along with 150 handmaidens and three very lucky men, about 40 years before the Great Flood.

She’s said to predate the Fomorians, the Nemedians, the Firbolgs and the Milsesians and, more latterly, the Dutch, Germans, British, and sundry holiday home makers too.

Hospitable Bantry and Cesaire are also mentioned in the Book of Invasions,though in later history; the 1798 Irish Rebellion notably, saw 15,000 French invading soldiers turn on their keels and return to France without waiting for a formal, arms-out reception.

Now, it’s hospitality time again, as one of the best sited contemporary houses along the bay’s shoreline called Seamark comes up for sale, right where the aforementioned Cesaire, and her handmaidens made first human foot-falls on Irish shores.

Launching this waterfront home of 3,700 sq ft on the market at €950,000, estate agent Michael H Daniels rightly bills the house, and equally its setting, as “exceptional”.

“It was finished just nine years ago to an exacting standard and to the highest specifications, overlooking a sheltered wooded inlet, in a magnificent position right at the waters’ edge,” he notes.

Seamark is just a mile from Bantry town, 100 metres from Donemark Falls, and at low tide you can follow the shoreline to the town on foot, or by kayak or row there at any other time.

The family that built here back in 2004 are now relocating, and their design legacy, created with Cork architect Kevin Fitzgerald, will be to the next occupants’ gain and delight.

The Donemark house was laid out to get bay and sunny views from just about every single room, hence its staggered facade and set-backs, as well as split levels.

“Every single room looks out on the water as a result,” says one of the owners, who reckon they were as blessed with the delivery of the construction, as with site-appropriate design.

Builders back then, eight years ago, were Martin Cotter from Ballydehob, sourced at a time when most builders were long-fingering one-off houses or charging through the nose, and Cotter, with local firm Murnane and O’Shea also on board, worked wonders, she reckons.

Case in point? Two staircases, (thanks to split levels), made up by Cotter’s ace carpenters on site, from scratch, in three or four weeks; other busy specialist firms had said it could take nine to 12 months to do an oak staircase such as this, all sinuous curves and bends, so busy were the days and order books.

It’s clearly now a walk-in job, on any of its three levels, and features spin off that split-level reception hall, with porcelain flooring reflecting light about the house’s core; there are three principal reception rooms and a large kitchen with units in chestnut, black-granite topped, graced by a creamy, four-oven Aga for comfort, culinary service and homely warmth.

There’s also a family room off to the lower floor, down four steps from the kitchen and heartened by a roaring open fire, whilst travelling up topmost, there are five en suite bedrooms (with top-class sanitary ware, vanity units in walnut, etc) all with views and flooded with southerly light gratis of the staggered front elevation. Views include Whiddy Island, a sweep of beguiling Bantry Bay, dotted peninsular inlets and coves.

The level of finish is well above spec, with bespoke fittings and lighting, central vacuum system, CAT 5 cabling for media and IT, central music system, and more, as well as an overall materials choice for ease of care and longevity.

The construction included laying block on flat for initial heft, part-stone and render facades, concrete floor slabs to upper levels, geo-thermal sourced heating, backed up with oil (provided underfloor,) and quality double-glazing and doors giving a very solid B2 BER rating — a nice thought when there’s this much space to heat, and the house’s aspect also means solar gain.

If 3,700 sq ft isn’t enough space, alongside is a further detached 1,100 sq ft two-storey building, suitable to adapting to varies uses subject to planning, adds Michael Daniels.

VERDICT: Seamark’s a top home in a remarkable Bantry Bay setting. It is probably one of the very last houses ever to get a foot-hold here in this Donemark shoreline section, where this island’s first ever human footfalls, as legend has it, were made.