Surge in demand for top coastal properties in 2025

Buyer appetite for premium homes in Kinsale and Kerry showed no signs of abating this year, say Ron Krueger and Gobnait O'Connell of Engel & Völkers

Comhrá le Mara, a former lobster farm in Caherdaniel, Co Kerry, sold for more than €1.7m, from a guide price of less than €1.4m

MOMENTUM has been a defining feature of the Kinsale property market in 2025. From the earliest weeks of the year, activity signalled that the coastal town was entering a new phase of sustained demand, driven by global buyer interest, domestic lifestyle transitions, and Kinsale’s longstanding reputation as one of Ireland’s most desirable places to live.

Buyers this year have largely fallen into three clear groups: Kinsale residents who are upsizing; domestic and international buyers seeking holiday homes, and overseas purchasers planning to live full-time in the harbour town. Demand remains consistently high across all segments, producing one of the busiest and most competitive years the town’s property market has seen. Kinsale’s premium profile — its harbour, culinary reputation, sailing culture, architectural charm, and quality of life — has strengthened further, attracting large numbers of US buyers, returning Irish expatriates, and Irish families seeking a coastal lifestyle, without compromising connectivity to Cork and beyond.