Tony O’Reilly’s West Cork holiday home for sale

The multi-million euro West Cork holiday home, Shorecliffe, owned by Sir Anthony O’Reilly, in Glandore, since the 1970s, has had a number of low-key viewings, mostly from overseas parties.

The scenic coastal village holds the recent record for top Co Cork house sales — with c €4m paid for a Georgian home, Seamark.

The village has been a holiday bolt-hole for quiet wealth, with part-time residents including the McNicholls construction family, former politician and journalist Baroness Margaret Jay, and Carol Vorderman for a period. Tony O’Reilly has had Glandore links for 40 years, with his extended family holidaying here, and his wife owns an adjoining property to the private Shorecliffe cluster.

Shorecliffe went on the website of Skibbereen-based estate agent Charles McCarthy in the past few days, with an unconfirmed €2-3m price. The O’Reilly family have not used it in the past four years, it is understood, and in 2009 it was valued at €4.3m, when used as a guarantee for loans with AIB. AIB is now pushing for the sale of Shorecliffe to assist repayment of €4m in loans it advanced to the former billionaire, one-time boss of Heinz and former chairman of the diverse Independent News and Media group.

Shorecliffe is on six acres, and includes a main Georgian residence and three smaller buildings, a mews, apartment and studio. The property includes an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and has water frontage. The 3,500 sq ft house is in excellent condition. Shorecliffe has been joined on the market by Sir Anthony O’Reilly’s Dublin townhouse on Fitzwilliam Square, with a price of €2.3m via Jordan Estates. He has owned the Dublin building, with offices, since 1996.

* Details: Charles P McCarthy, 028-21533