Residence in stunning Tomies occupying the top end of the property market in Killarney

• Beaufort, Killarney
• Price: €1.3m
• Size: 510sq m (5,500sq ft)
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 7
• BER: Pending

Trish Dromey checks out a five-bedroom residence in stunning Tomies occupying the top end of the property market in Killarney

A scenic lakeside location and a highly luxurious finish puts this five-bed property in Tomies at the top end of the Killarney property market with a guide of €1.3m.

In addition to being both scenic and high-end, the 5,500sq ft property is most unusual in having both a central decked courtyard garden and a 1,750sq ft basement.

When the current owners purchased the property in 2001, it was an unfinished 1990s bungalow which had less than half the space it has now.

The key attraction then, as now, was proximity to Lough Leane, Killarney’s largest lake, which is just 200 metres away. The fact that the property was set against a backdrop of the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Tomies Mountain was an added bonus.

Appreciating the splendour of the setting and the views, the couple set about enlarging and upgrading their new property. It helped that the male half of the couple worked in construction. “We finished the house a very high level it could serve as a showcase for his work,” reveals his other half, explaining that their aim was to give it a timeless classic look.

To floor it, they used cherry, white oak, mahogany, walnut, hickory, and beech as well as porcelain tiles. “We put in Kohler bathroom fittings and whirlpool baths in three bathrooms and also sourced stone from quarries in Liscannor and Doolin for the exterior walls,” says the owner, adding that they also installed in a central vacuum system.

Adding on a 1,000sq ft extension at the rear, the couple decided that the high-end finish should include energy-efficient features.

“We used insulated concrete formwork for the extension, which has good thermal performance, and we put in underfloor heating fuelled by a wood pellet/timber burner,” they add.

The main living areas are at the front of the house overlooking the lake. “You can look across and get a partial view of Killarney through the National Park — on a calm day you can see a reflection of the cathedral spire in the lake,” observes the owner.

Front and centre of the house is a bay window belonging to a walnut-floored living room with timber panelling effect on the walls and a painted timber fireplace.

The formal dining room alongside it has cherry flooring and wall panelling, in addition to a coffered ceiling and a cherry fireplace.

Also at the front, a long kitchen dining room with beech granite-topped units with a Fisher & Paykel double oven and a large American-style fridge.

The dining section overlooks the lake and has hickory flooring with cherry inlay.

Off the kitchen you’ll find the utility room and off the hallway there is access to the courtyard which offers a sheltered space — ideal for sitting outside.

In the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by a stone circle patio, is a Malus tree which produces small apples in the autumn and white blossoms in the spring.

The decking is made of ipe timber which the owner explains is an exotic hardwood which is naturally resistant to rot and decay and eight times harder than Californian redwood.

The owner calls the courtyard “a secret garden”. “You can hide away from the world in all seasons in the shade of the tree,” she says.

“From here, you can look through the front door in the morning and see the sun come up over the lake.”

Other accommodation includes five bedrooms including four with en suites and, at the rear of the courtyard, there is also a 525sq ft attached double garage.

The master bedroom is particularly large, has a corner window with lake views as well as a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom with a sunken Jacuzzi bath.

Designed to provide space for a games room, a mini-cinema, and extra storage, the basement has a builder’s finish.

“It’s a blank canvas which could be used for a media room or a home office,’’ says the owner.

Set on a site of a little over half an acre, the property has lawned gardens lined by mature hornbeam and copper beech trees, as well as a paved driveway with an electric gate at the front. Not only does the property In addition to having have views of the lake, it also has access to it.

“We are one of three houses with private access to the lake,” reveals the owner.

Located at Tomies, the property is three and a half kilometres from Beaufort and around 11km from Killarney.

“This is a majestic lakeside property with an elegant finish,” says selling agent William Hennigan, pointing out that getting planning permission for a property in this location would be an impossibility now.

VERDICT: Properties of this size, with this standard of finish and these views, are scarce.