Two for the price of one with this impressive buy in Kenmare

This expansive Kenmare home comes complete with a substantial food industry plant, writes Trish Dromey

Sat, 12 May, 2018 - 01:00

This expansive Kenmare home comes complete with a substantial food industry plant, writes Trish Dromey

With scenic mountain views, six acres of land, as well as a renovated farmhouse and a large factory previously used for producing smoked salmon — this property at Kilmurray in Kenmare, is quite a comprehensive offering.

Set on a south-facing hillside above the town, it’s on the market with Sherry FitzGerald Daly who say it is attracting attention from a range of buyers including locals who are interested in its commercial potential as well as overseas buyers who are taken with the idea of acquiring a beautifully restored farmhouse in one of Ireland’s most popular tourist spots.

The farmhouse, which dates from the late 19th century, has been renovated and extended by the French family who have owned it since the 1980s, and who for many years ran a successful smoked salmon company from the factory with exports across Europe.

Extended first in the 1980s and later in 2010, the farmhouse is a substantial 2,900 sq ft property with a large high-ceilinged wrap-around conservatory as well as a separate guest wing.

Decorated with obvious French flair, it’s an elegant old-world residence with parquet and tiled flooring, cornicing, period style furniture, as well as a great many bookcases and glass panelled French doors. The walls are covered with paintings and prints and the area above the stairs is used to display some very striking African art figures and masks.

Overlooking the gardens at the front, with double doors opening out in to the conservatory is a long, parquet floored living room with a high carved timber fireplace. Alongside it is both a dining room and a kitchen, while the other side of the house has a guest WC and a utility room as well as an attractive book lined library/TV room.

Upstairs, the property has a large master bedroom with an en-suite in addition to two other bedrooms and a bathroom.

The more recently added guest wing is a single storey structure at the side, which has a bedroom and a living room, as well as a shower room and a walk-in wardrobe.

Surrounding the house are almost three acres of landscaped lawns

gardens filled with mature trees and shrubs. Alongside the conservatory there’s a paved terrace with steps leading down to the gardens which contain a small green house and a kitchen garden.

From the terrace and from the rooms at the front, there are scenic views of Kenmare town, the surrounding countryside and across to the Caha mountains.

A little over three acres of the triangular shaped 6.7 acre site, is zoned for light industrial use.

In this section there’s 9,300 sq ft factory which was built in the 1970s and which is in need of renovation. Spread over three levels, it also has loading bays and parking space for 30 cars.

There’s a separate 2,300 sq ft two-storey office building which was built in 2008.

Auctioneer Elaine Daly says this was built to a high specification and has two offices and a communications room which hosts the IT and telephone system.

Closer to the house is a 1,000 sq storage building dating from the 1970s which is also in need of renovation.

Seeking offers of €585,000, Ms Daly says the property has enormous development potential for a wide number of uses.

“It could be used as a residence but also for tourism, light industrial or commercial use,” she says, adding that it is easily accessible from Kenmare which is just one and a half kilometres away.

Options for a new owner would include living in the house and renting out the commercial space or perhaps doing it the other way around.

Verdict: A home and a business with a view.