Views of Kenmare Bay for €450,000. Thatch should do it

A modern, thatched cottage on the coast with a sauna to relax in while you take in the amazing view

The Ring of Kerry thatched cottage with stunning views of Kenmare Bay.

Sneem, Co. Kerry
€450,000
Size	149 sq m (1,603 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

Picture postcard pretty, with splendid scenic views across Kenmare Bay, this Ring of Kerry cottage has a few features that viewers wouldn’t expect to find in a traditional Irish thatched property.

The biggest surprise might be the discovery that the little thatched outbuilding alongside the main cottage contains a fully equipped sauna. 

But it’s possible viewers will be more astonished when they discover that, despite its thick stone walls and traditional appearance, this is a 1990s built property designed by a German architect.

Its construction at Derreendrislagh, near Sneem was a labour of love for the German couple who built it as a holiday home but have lived there part time in more recent years, enjoying life on the Iveragh peninsula, the scenery and even singing in the local choir.

Like many others, they fell in love with Ireland on a visit but had difficulty finding the holiday home they wanted. After several trips to Ireland to visit sites, they opened a German newspaper and found an advertisement offering “Land for sale with planning permission on the Ring of Kerry.” 

Happy with the location of this site of almost three acres and its views of Kenmare Bay and the Beara Peninsula, they decided that this was the perfect place for their dream home which they asked a German architect to design for them.

The result is a neatly thatched four-bed cottage which has the thick stone walls of a traditional Irish cottage but is two storeys high and taller with a more steeply sloping roof.

It’s picturesque and with 1,600 sq ft of living space is substantially larger than a traditional cottage. Its accommodation is also more modern while the C1 BER rating is higher.

A German influence can be seen in the interior décor — unsurprising since the owners finished and furnished it mainly with materials they brought with them. This included oak furniture, carpets and curtains and even the oak floor boards and the hand painted tiles in the kitchen, reveals the owner.

The main living space is an elegant and spacious oak floored living/dining/kitchen area with a large oak fireplace and a patio doors in the dining area. “The most beautiful views can be seen from the breakfast table — from here we can look across Kenmare Bay and its islands and we can also watch pheasants and rabbits on the terrace,’’ reveals the owner. 

The kitchen area has timber units with an Aga, hand painted splashback tiles and granite worktops. Other accommodation at ground level includes a small utility room, a kitchenette, a shower room and two bedrooms.

Upstairs there’s a shower room and two bedrooms — one at each side — including one with sea views. 

When the couple completed decorating the interior in 1999 they began work on landscaping the gardens. It started with the creation of a 60 metre wide pond which they filled with water lilies. “A year later, we added a second pond at the rear which has a large rock where a grey heron often lands ,’’ says the owner.

They planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs as well as a great many hydrangea bushes and also put in a patio and added a thatched outbuilding for the sauna.

Located just 1km from the pier at Glessk , the thatched cottage is 10 km from Sneem and 9 km from Castlecove.

Quoting a guide of €450,000, Suzanne Teahan of Sherry FitzGerald Daly says this wonderfully scenic and highly unique property is attracting a lot of attention from overseas buyers.

“Some want holiday homes, some want a place to work remotely from — most of the interest is coming from Germany and the UK,’’ she said.

VERDICT: All the prettiness, comfort and scenery you could look for in a coastal cottage — and a sauna to relax in too.