'Let there be light' at White Rock, a €945,000 whopper home near Clonakilty

A downstairs en suite bedroom with adjacent living room and compact kitchenette is ideal for elderly parents or an au pair

White Rock, Gallanes, Clonakilty, view of extended rear. Pictures: Niamh Whitty

Clonakilty, West Cork
€945,000
Size	400 sq m (4305 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	5
BER	B3

IF ever you wanted proof of how powerful a tool natural light can be in house design, it’s plain as day at White Rock, in glorious Gallanes.

It’s the most dynamic element of the super-size home, which was what the owners had hoped for, when they extended and remodelled it in 2010.

“It was all about bringing more light in and capturing the sun. It's what we've always tried to do in any house we've lived in, bring in light from all sides,” the owners say.

To achieve their dream, they hired Bandon-based architect Úna O’Sullivan, who had also designed the original house, on behalf of the first owner. who built it in 2002, before building much the same again on family land a few years later. 

When the new owners bought White Rock in 2006, it was half the house that it is now. Now, it’s more a house of two halves.

Front of White Rock is entirely different to the rear

 The original dormer bungalow front elevation with standard levels of glazing remains the same but the rear of the house knocks it out of the park. Sloping roofs and triple-glazed Aluclad windows of many shapes and sizes, some double height, some rising into an apex, dominate the design. 

Night time rear view of White Rock

Viewed separately, the front and rear could be two different homes.

The upshot of extending White Rock is a 400 sq m property where the main kitchen/dining/living area - surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glazing - harnesses tremendous amounts of natural light.

 It’s a wonderfully bright and airy connected-to-nature space, which overlooks expertly landscaped gardens and rolling countryside. 

The main bedroom, which also has liberal amounts of glazing, enjoys the same view.

New owners will be spoilt for outdoor seating choice: whether to sit out on the patio off the main living area or on the west-facing covered deck off the conservatory. “It’s a lovely spot for the evening sun,” the owners say.

There’s more rooms than you could shake a stick at in White Rock, including five double bedrooms and five bathrooms. A ground floor en suite bedroom, with adjoining living room and compact kitchenette, was ideal for elderly parents and could also suit an au pair.

Given White Rock’s proportions, and the 0.67 acre gardens, it was a great house for entertaining.

“We’ve had 18th and 21st birthday parties here, and school rugby teams. We even had a table tennis table in the kitchen at one stage. And during Covid, a couple of people worked comfortably from home” the owners say.

They add that it was “a great house for kids”: a short walk from schools in Clonakilty and near beaches like Inchydoney.

Maeve McCarthy of Charles McCarthy Estate Agents, who is selling White Rock, guiding at €945,000, says the house is “an exquisite package” with lots of extras and sustainable features, including insulated walls, solar wall heating, a Grant Vortex boiler and part underfloor heating, “ensuring comfort and eco-friendliness, as per its B3 energy rating”.

She points out also the two-bay detached garage, with downstairs WC, and floored overhead.

White Rock comes to market as the owners, who moved here from Dublin 20 years ago, prepare to “rightsize”.

VERDICT:  House hunters for whom Let there be Light is their rallying cry will adore this spacious home. Classy family trade-up for lovers of the great outdoors.