Prairie Cottage land was poker prize

Schull home is still a winner, says Tommy Barker

Carrying the slightly unusual name of Prairie Cottage, this West Cork farm home on three acres with stone outbuildings is a lifestyle option, at a price that could suit fledgling buyers.

In fact, the property was part of a larger estate which changed hands in the late 1800s in a game of cards played between two local landlords, the Somervilles and the Hungerfords, says auctioneer Charles McCarthy in Skibbereen with Somerville getting the upper hand on the turn of a poker game.