Beachside house in Ventry, Co Kerry, is a real glass act
HE name of this Ventry, beachside house sort of says it all — it’s called the Glass House.
A bungalow from earlier decades, it was extensively reworked, extended and upgraded in 2005, where its design-driven skilled redesign and makeover by McGillicuddy Architects makes the very best use of what’s a very special setting.
It’s on over an acre running down to the water and the end of Ventry village, on these golden miles of the Dingle peninsula.
The view takes in the long arc of golden Ventry beach, about four miles from Dingle town and right where the famed Slea Head drive (and, now, also part of the Wild Atlantic Way) opens out to some of the country’s most breathtaking coastal scenery, with Mount Eagle brooding inland and behind this settled community with shops, pubs, school, church, craft shops — and, long, Blue-Flag beach and sheltered bay.
The peninsular area is steeped in history and archaeology, and ruins of old settlements and ringforts, beehive huts too, while the remarkable build Gallarus Oratory is further out Slea Head.
There are centuries of building expertise in stone — but, what would those early craftsmen make of a house made with so much glass?
And, noting the fact that glass is made from sand (of which Ventry has a plentiful supply) they’d most likely scratch their heads in amazement, and in some wonder.)
Yep, we 21st century citizens take some things for granted - such as the sheer alchemy of glass making, and it’s only in the last few years that windows of this scale have migrated from commercial buildings to private residences.
Ventry’s Glass House is, in many aspects, of its time, redone to a very high spec in 2005 at the economy’s peak, with two new extensively glazed wings grafted on, one for living/seating/viewing, the other with the same aspect and attractions, but part of a 500 sq ft master bedroom, with en suite, dressing room, and seating perch.
This bedroom has access to the deck, done with a hard-wearing composite material, and there’s also posts for an outdoor hammock — for when summers come and sunshine beckons.
The Glass House has things like solar panels for water heating, a wrap-around and split level deck with outdoor hot-tub — the latter a bit like a modern twist on the old fulacht fiadh cooking and heating pits!
It also has bright, sun-basking living spaces, with the same full-height floor to ceiling glazing, in green aluminium frames in the 250 sq ft sun room, while for evening times there is a wood-burning stove in the living room, up a few steps back from the sun room, in the original house portion, where there’s also a vertical-mounted radiator for the oil-fired central heating.
There are three bedrooms here, that aforementioned master suite plus two more which are also carpeted, and bathrooms are done to a high, five-star hotel standard.
The best has a walk-in double shower with curved surround, as well as double-ended bath placed by a square, unfrosted square window.
Elsewhere, and possibly more standard in specification and appearance is a kitchen/diner, with cream gloss units wrapped in solid timber surround and worktops, while the floor’s a pale porcelain tile.
It’s good, but a step below the investment quality of bathrooms and sun room and master suite but, then again, this was done for holidays, and holidays don’t always mean being tied to a kitchen sink.
The Glass House came to a later summer market, with estate agent Dominc Daly, who is selling for its Cork city-based family of owners.
Mr Daly guides at €500,000, and has it under early offer in the low €400,000s.
He feels the quality of its build and finishes will impress even if viewings take place in the depths of winter, as its creature comfort levels are so high.
Ten minutes or so from booming tourism and foodie hot-spot Dingle, it’s on an acre mostly left as wild-flower meadow, a short walk from the village, pubs, cafes and beach at Ventry, and has its own shoreline access.
Extra touches include a semi-basement for storage, thanks to the site’s slope, and there’s a steel storage shed as well — no bee-hive hut here.
A glass act
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