Storybook Kinsale cottage with rare garden on market for €545,000

This rare Summercove cottage offers a private garden, harbour glimpses, and decades of family history, now listed at €545,000

The Cottage, in Summercove, is a short stroll from the Bulman, one of Kinsale's best-loved pubs. Pictures: John Finn & John Roche

Kinsale, Co Cork
€545,000
Size	84 sq m (900 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	N/A

SUMMERCOVE, one of Kinsale’s prettiest corners, offers the kind of laidback lifestyle visitors adore. Beyond the bustle of the main town, dipping down to the harbour, it’s a colourful little enclave, anchored by the convivial Bulman pub, and watched over by the magnificent 17th century Charles Fort.

The well-known Bulman pub

A mix of impressive townhouses and colourful cottages run down along the hill to the Bulman, where the only drawback is no front garden — ideal for the lock-and-leave brigade, but less so for those who value private outdoor space.

The Cottage has much in common with the neat terrace of lookalikes, but with one crucial difference: It has more garden. 

It’s as though it was plucked from the row and deposited down a leafy laneway, gaining privacy and just enough height to secure glimpses of the harbour.

The Cottage is a classic storybook version: White-washed, half doors, a trail of pink roses climbing up its front wall. It’s been lovingly minded by the O’Reilly family for 60 years.

“Dad’s family is from West Cork and while we lived in Dublin, all our holidays were spent in Kinsale. We would stay in Actons Hotel for two weeks, but Dad was always on the lookout for a place and he found this,” says Lanna O’Reilly, whose late parents, Barry and Anne, bought and renovated The Cottage.

Their first big job was when they raised the roof about 40 years ago and removed the thatch. Beneath the new roof, they added two double bedrooms.

Light pours through velux windows onto the landing and down through the open-tread stairs.

Prior to raising the roof, bedrooms were downstairs. One was replaced by a dining area. 

A bathroom was moved to create a lovely living space.

Dining/living/kitchen are now open plan, and it’s all wonderfully bright and airy, helped along by the half doors, and good window placement.

About 20 years ago, Lanna’s mum Anne built on a downstairs double bedroom with vaulted roof. French doors open to a patio.

 The patio continues around to the garden, which faces south-west and gets the sun all day.

“My mother loved her garden and spent a lot of time in it,” Lanna says.

The family made terrific use of The Cottage, from summer holidays, to Christmas and New Year breaks, to covid lockdowns. At one stage, Lanna considered flipping the living accommodation and installing lots of glass, as well as a balcony. In the end, she chose to leave The Cottage as is, but it gives potential buyers food for thought. She’s selling up now because the house is no longer getting the use she feels it deserves.

Johanna Murphy, of Johanna Murphy & Sons, is guiding The Cottage at €545,000 and expects interest from several quarters including from overseas.

“American buyers are very active in the Kinsale property market right now, but I would also expect interest from Cork city and Dublin, from buyers looking for a holiday home,” the agent says, adding that it could also be a permanent home.

The pier by the Bulman in Summercove

“Kinsale has everything: A magnificent coastline, marinas, golfing, a sandy beach at The Dock, gourmet restaurants and a healthy social scene,” Ms Murphy adds.

VERDICT: Pretty as a picture home in a lovely part of the world, about a 20-minute drive from Cork Airport.