Tidal surge of interest in waterfronting €500k Clonakilty harbour home

There are far fewer houses than you'd ever expect with direct waterfrontage in and around West Cork's Clonakilty

Ring the changes at Middle Ring, Clonakilty harbour - but the quality of the waterfronting  site underpins the €500k asking price via Hodnett Forde's Andy Donoghue

Middle Ring, Clonakilty West Cork
€500,000
Size	84 sq m (915 sq ft) + sail loft/garage
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	G

You could easily get carried away at this Clonakilty bay waterfront home as viewings kick off this autumn — both by the setting, at the end of a road by Ring and, more importantly, by the tides.

Middle Ring view

Tides rush past here in surges, in and out, with eddies and ripping currents: a lot of water gets funneled through the pinch-point opening here at scenic Ring facing Inchydoney Island, to the expanse of the bay over mudflats, up to the town of Clonakilty and the N71.

It’s very much an off-the-beaten-track spot to watch marine traffic, mostly small fishing and pleasure boats using the several piers at South and Middle Ring, with a sandbar by the entrance near the eastern end of glorious Inchydoney beach — a water channel not for the faint-hearted, or the foolish.

Harbour meets the sea by Inchydoney beach

The bay, and Ring, were busy places in previous centuries, with grain, potatoes, slate, and minerals such as barytes exported far and wide, with the remains of old grain stores, kilns, and flour mills linked to the Arundel family of old by Kitty Mac’s and Barry’s bars. Deasy’s, which operated for a decade as a bar and restaurant also drew many to savour Ring’s gentle charms before closing a few years ago.

Shelter from the tidal pull

This home, out at a spot called Middle Ring, must have witnessed the latter days of commercial marine activity from its cul-de-sac setting, by a private pier and the remains of an old fish farm, and is set on a west-facing section facing the water, nearly dipping its boundary toes onto the shoreline and backing into a rise of ground behind.

It’s up a short flight of steps on c. one-third of an acre — well above any fears of rising sea levels. The multi-purpose sail loft above a detached garage is also well out of any future harm’s way.

However, while it has engrossing views, the rise of ground behind means it doesn’t get direct sun until later in the day (though it does hit the back/yard section earlier on: Raised rear balcony or deck, perhaps?)

The house is reckoned to be 100 years of age by estate agent Andy Donoghue of Hodnett Forde, who’s now selling the c 915 sq ft villa-like bungalow, with adjacent serviced, lofted sails store over a double garage.

Sail loft over double garage

His vendors have been here about 40 years, having come from the UK but with Cork roots and for a period they ran an angling/ fishing supplies business from this property — mixing business with pleasure, all on their doorstep.

It faces west, with engrossing views. Even focusing on the pace of water flow past boat moorings can be quite hypnotic, not to mention the wildlife. He points out that despite some expectations given the miles of coastline “there are actually very, very few residential properties either side of Clonakilty and for miles in either direction with direct water frontage. This is one of the very few.”

Rare,  direct water frontage

Mr Donoghue guides at €500,000, so there’s clearly a price premium on the waterside setting. While it’s in good overall condition, anyone buying will spend a good deal more on it, hoping to grow it from a modest three-bed home — with rear kitchen annexe, wet room bathroom extension to the side, a gable end, dual aspect living room with good quality period era fireplace, plus central linking dining/family room with large stove.

Ceilings are high and some of the windows have shutters to the side. There’s oil and solid-fuel heating, replacement windows, mains water, and broadband, while the BER’s a G.

Good fireplace in end living room with glazed, single door to the side patio

It’s one of the more original and largely-unaltered homes in the Ring area, with some high-end architect-designed one-offs higher up and to the back. A period farmhouse on acres of grounds a few doors away was bought c20 years ago by the German Kelly family of musical troubadours who also owned a classic waterfront home, East Grove Home, on Cork’s Great Island at East Ferry in the 1990s (sold to wealthy New Yorkers Louis and Loretta Glucksman.)

Bigger windows next? Glass box add-on?

Despite its proximity to Clonakilty, about 4km around the harbour, this part of Ring is generally quiet, with several small beaches and inlets around the headland and Ring Point to the east, such as Sheep Cove and Simons Cove.

VERDICT: It will be worth checking with a good architect what enhancements can be made (subject to planning) to maximise the setting and grab a bit more morning sunlight.