Affordable €260,000 bolthole with snug sunroom in glorious Glengarriff  

A rare owner-occupied two-bed near Glengarriff village attracts strong interest, thanks to its sunroom, setting and Wild Atlantic Way location

19 Reenmeen Woods, Glengarriff. Pictures: Niamh Whitty

Glengarriff, West Cork
€260,000
Size	90 sq m 970 sq ft
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

HOMES in Glengarriff are regularly hoovered up by overseas buyers keen on a bolthole in this most winsome of West Cork villages. With scenic spots ten a penny, blessed indeed are those who live there all year.

At Reenmeen Woods, a niche scheme built about 20 years ago by local man Dónal O’Rourke, most of the inhabitants are owner occupiers, who get to enjoy the coastal splendours each season brings. Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve is superb year round, and the view from Lady Bantry’s Lookout will knock your socks off.

It’s worth the hike: You see the full extent of Glengarriff woodlands, Garnish Island, Whiddy Island, and Bantry Bay, against a rugged mountainy backdrop.

The splendours of Glengarriff, Co Cork.

Those fortunate enough to have spent childhood summers in Glengarriff appreciate that it’s hard to beat, such as Claire O’Connor, whose mother, the late Ann O’Leary, née Harrington, grew up in the Maple Leaf pub on Main St, aka Bernard Harrington’s bar.

Even though Ann wed a Bandon man — Ted O’Leary — whom she met in the bar, and lived out her married life in his hometown, she was back and forth regularly to Glengarriff.

Main St, Glengarriff, with Bernard Harrington's bar, (second left). Picture: Dan Linehan

“As kids, we were to and fro all the time.,” says Claire, who later settled in Dublin’s Malahide with husband Chris, but remained a regular visitor to Glengarriff.

“When I’d come down to visit Mum in Bandon, I’d ask where she would like to go, and the answer was always, ‘Sure you know. Let’s drive to Glengarriff and have lunch in Casey’s Hotel and stop by the bar to say hello to Bernard’,” Claire says.

No 19 (centre)

Later, as Claire and Chris approached retirement, they decided to look for a house in Glengarriff, where they could be close to Claire’s elderly mum.

“We were determined to find one, but mum passed before we did. We think she found the house at Reenmeen Woods for us. We were the first to see it, and our offer was accepted on the doorstep,”says Claire.

No 19 Reenmeen Woods is a two-bed, terraced home on an elevated site about 1km outside Glengarriff village, within a few minutes’ walk of the shoreline.

 Mature woodland obscures the sea views, but the harbour pops into sight at the end of the road.

Harbour view from end of road

“We bought it three years ago, after covid, and we’ve been living our best lives. Four of my six siblings live in West Cork and Chris absolutely adores Glengarriff,” Claire says.

A sunroom added to the rear by a previous owner, with all-glass surround and patio doors to the back garden, was a key attraction. 

Designed to catch the evening light, it’s a tranquil spot for reading and birdwatching.

“There are hundreds of birds as there’s woodland behind us. There’s a rhododendron bush too and it’s a bank of bright pink in June,” Claire says.

Beyond the sunroom, an enclosed garden has a gravel area with picnic table where Claire liked to paint, as well as some greenery towards the rear.

Accommodation indoors is compact — 970 sq ft in all — boosted by the sunroom, which is overlooked by the kitchen and reached via the utility. 

A bright living room to the front of the property has the benefit of a bay window. 

In winter months, a solid fuel stove keeps it snug. The BER is a C2.

The decision to sell the house after three years in order to upsize bucks the trend of retirees downsizing (Claire is a recently retired school principal).However with so many relations and friends in the neighbourhood, they’ve opted for a bigger property and No 19 is up for sale.

“Brisk bidding is under way and we’re already in excess of the guide price of €260,000,” says Denis Harrington of Harrington Estates (yes, he is a relation of Claire’s).

To date, the majority of those who have viewed No 19 are single females, either working in the vicinity or looking for a retirement base. All are potential owner/occupiers.

Mr Harrington doesn’t anticipate a long-drawn-out sales process. He has form in the neighbourhood, having recently sold next-door No 18, which went for €238,000 and has yet to make the Price Register. He expects a stronger result for No 19 because of the sunroom extension.

“It’s the only one of the houses in the row with a sunroom, and it offers great additional living space,” he says.

The location — on the Wild Atlantic Way, between mountain and sea — speaks for itself. Local amenities include mooring for boats, hillwalking opportunities on the Beara Way, as well as shops, galleries, bars, hotels, and restaurants in the village.

VERDICT: Affordable, turnkey home, with bonus of a sunroom, in an area of great natural beauty. Potential owner occupiers may have to compete with holiday home hunters.