Trading up: Steady at the tiller to Captain’s home

Location: Bonane, Kerry

“I just couldn’t find a fault with this, it’s as good as I’ve seen in my years in the business — and viewers so far appreciate it too.”

So says Kenmare estate agent Tadhg O’Sullivan of The Captain’s House at rustic Bonane. It’s a house where the interior reflects a different century to its preserved and stripped-back exterior stone and brick walls. Called after an Irish military man, Captain John Slynn, who built this limestone dwelling back in the early days of the Free State, it has since had an utter transformation at the hands of experienced renovators who fell for its charms, and did much of the work here themselves.

It’s only a few weeks on the market and has attracted a coterie of admirers from its first viewings, note DNG Timothy O’Sullivan who seek offers around €260,000 for the super-comfortable dwelling — it even gets a fine B3 BER rating, not bad for a stone building that’s 85 years of age.

It has been insulated, re-roofed, has gas-fired heating and a contemporary, wall-mounted gas fire, as well as underfloor heating, and has a rear sun room with the best of views down the Bonane Valley, about seven miles from Kenmare at Garrymore, Bonane.

It’s in a quiet setting, just off the N71 which runs to Glengarriffe about twelve miles away: the road between both locations is beautiful, from start to finish.

The parish of Bonane has been tastily put on the gourmet map thanks to the efforts of French chocolate maker Benoit Lorge, who manufactures in the old shop and post office, and who runs courses for chocolatiers and chocoholics alike. Yum.

Sweet all in its own way, the Captain’s House is on a half-acre site, fenced in, and sloping away down to the green valley beyond, with path and gravel in the house’s immediate surrounds for easy keeping: with all the greenery in the view, it hardly needs its own strip of lawn. It’s got double glazed windows, with venetian blinds hinting at a new wave of modernity inside, and has a slate roof back on top as a secure headpiece.

Inside, the main house’s section is now a 29’ by 16’ double aspect living room, with polished stone or marble floor, gas fireplace, recessed lighting, crisp and glossy kitchen units and integrated appliances, and an open stairwell in ash, with glass balusters. The two en suite bedrooms are carpeted and comfortable, with power showers and heated towel rails in each WC.

Adding to the original floor area is the rear conservatory — the same quality stone floor finish runs out to this extra-bright space, where an easel holds up an old black and white photograph of the Captain’s House, in its earlier days.

VERDICT: There really is noting left to do, but move on in.