This €695,000 Robert's Cove home was designed for the views — and it shows

All the right signals at Coastguard Lodge in Cork

Coastguard Lodge, Robert's Cove

Robert’s Cove, Co Cork
€695,000
Size	166sq m (1,787sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	C1

Coastguard Lodge is so damn pretty that it’s hard to imagine it ever had a role in crime prevention. History says otherwise: part of the coastguards’ role was to watch out for illicit activity along the shoreline and no better place for illegal trade than Ireland’s heavily indented southwest coastline, where smugglers had their pick of hidden coves.

Alongside their enforcement role, coastguards kept watch for vessels in distress and assisted in maritime rescue. The nature of their undertakings meant a clear view of the coast was essential. One thing the buyer of Coastguard Lodge in Robert’s Cove can be sure of is premium seaward views.

This particular lodge is thought to date to the 1860s, and its solid, thick-set walls and curved bedroom ceilings are evidence of its heritage. Outwardly, it looks a lot younger and has the appearance of being extended. The current owners, who bought it in 2020, did trojan work, modernising it and prettying it up no end, as well as adding a good deal of insulation. A new kitchen was fitted and bathrooms were upgraded. It’s as cosy now as a well-lined nest.

As winsome as the cottage is, it’s hard to beat the half-acre garden; ‘idyll’ doesn’t do it justice. Out front, which faces west, is carefully designed as a traditional ‘pottage’ or kitchen garden, enclosed by stone walls and an Elaeagnus hedge. It’s packed with bounty: Wisteria, climbing roses, a ‘sunset’ patio, flowering shrubs, vegetable beds, espalier plum, and cherry trees.

There are treats galore to the rear too, including a nature-friendly rewilding area with a small orchard of apple and pear trees, as well as blueberries, rhubarb, raspberries, lavender, and poppies. Strawberries, tomatoes, and seasonal salad veg are grown in a greenhouse. A richly natural setting, it’s a haven for pollinators and a constant joy to spend time in.

A semi-detached home that was once part of a larger coastguard station complex, it’s a bright, light filled property, where the biggest windows are sea facing, including a large picture window in the lounge. Overhead, in the main bedroom, french doors open to a small balcony: It’s better than any Cornish escape. All three bedrooms are doubles, and the main has an en suite and walk-in-wardrobe.

Eileen Neville of Lisney SIR is the agent for the sale of the Britfieldstown house and she says the location is tops: “At the end of the back garden, over the wall, steps lead down to the sea, or if you turn right, you can go up over the headland. It’s stunning.”

Interest to date has been both international and local. As Robert’s Cove is less than 25 minutes from Cork city, it could be snapped up as a coastal bolthole — or a holiday home for overseas buyers. It would seem a pity not to live in it full-time, as the current owners have done, given how much it has going for it.

There’s plenty for lovers of the outdoors, from year-round sea swimming (with beachside sauna) and kayaking (Steeltech shed for storing all the gear), to scenic walks along the headland.

The guide price is €695,000.

VERDICT: Buyers on the lookout for a picture- perfect home by the seaside should try Coastguard Lodge for size. The signals are all good