€450k riverside West Cork inn has David Puttnam and Olympic rowers as upriver neighbours

Long-established riverside 11-bed inn offers one acre, water frontage and significant redevelopment potential between Skibbereen and Baltimore

Wed, 26 Nov, 2025 - 19:00

Tommy Barker Property Editor

Top riverside neighbours — including internationally acclaimed film director David Puttnam, the medal-winning Skibbereen Rowing Club and the traditional timber boatyard Hegarty’s — sit alongside the sale of the riverside bar, the Old Court Inn.

Set on the tidal stretches of the Ilen River, halfway between Skibbereen and the harbour village of Baltimore, the Old Court Inn is a distinctive 4,800 sq ft licensed premises with a long trading history, a riverside setting on one acre with water frontage, and residential accommodation of up to 11 bedrooms over its top two floors, each with external access.

Oldcourt Bar for sale McCarthy Auctioneers

Family-run for decades but not currently trading, the Old Court Inn has a seven-day licence and offers “an opportunity to reimagine a landmark premises in one of West Cork’s most sought-after waterfront settings,” says selling agent Maeve McCarthy of Charles P McCarthy, Skibbereen.

She guides the entire property at €450,000 for an E-rated BER detached building with over 1,000 sq ft of bar space and family quarters, and scope to go fully private, be redeveloped, or find a niche in accommodation or hospitality. A key asset for many buyers will be its direct water access at the back of the one-acre roadside plot.

Film producer and Irish citizen David Puttnam and his wife Patsy live along the same stretch of the Ilen, about a kilometre upriver toward Deelish Garden Centre and Abbeystrewery Bridge. The Skibbereen Rowing Club also trains here, producing multiple medal winners, including brothers Gary and Paul O’Donovan.

A television documentary, David Puttnam: The Long Way Home, aired on RTÉ last year, highlighting the couple’s more than 30-year tenure at Oldcourt.

Just add water: Ilen setting for Old Court (Oldcourt) Inn

The Old Court Inn has evolved over the decades into an unusual three-storey building with brick finishes. It stands at a road junction beside the prominently sited Hegarty’s Boatyard at Oldcourt House — the last traditional maker of wooden vessels in the region, widely featured in media and books since its founding in 1948.

Estate agent Ms McCarthy says the Old Court Inn is a mixed-use property with river views and direct tidal access, and “occupies a landmark position on the West Cork coastline."

This premises is well known locally, having operated for many years as a popular bar; it remains a familiar point of reference for those travelling between Skibbereen and Baltimore.

Putting the final touches to The Ilen boat at Hegarty's Boatyard in Oldcourt.

“The location is particularly strong: Baltimore’s one of West Cork’s most vibrant waterfront communities with a thriving sailing culture, ferry services to Sherkin and Cape Clear, acclaimed restaurants and a welcoming year round atmosphere, while Skibbereen is less than a ten minute drive and provides a full range of shops, schools and services.”

There’s a Local Link bus route (eight times daily) and proximity to Lough Hyne’s Marine Nature Reserve.

“The combination of roadside prominence, river frontage, proximity to Baltimore, Skibbereen and Lough Hyne together with regular public transport links makes this property a particularly compelling opportunity,” she adds.