West Cork island home could set Sherkin property record with €499,000 asking price

The Top House, Sherkin

Sherkin Island, West Cork
€499,000
Size	143sq m (1539sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	E1

With the world hotting up at a rate of knots, holidaying in the wilds of West Cork rather than the wildfire-prone costas of continental Europe sounds like a plan.

No better spot than sublime Sherkin Island, a 15-minute ferry trip from the mainland, short enough for a commute to work if you were considering becoming a full-time islander.

The owner of The Top House, featured here, has commuted to work on a daily basis for years.

He bought the 143sq m property with a house-wide, seaward-facing conservatory and view over sparkling Baltimore Harbour in 2017.

Since then, he’s upgraded the septic tank and put in a new drainage system. The house itself, built in the 1940s, was fully upgraded in the 1980s and exudes real country charm, enriched by its setting: A splendid mature half acre, tailor-made for free-range child rearing, all sorts of wildlife, and pollinators. The house — which has off-road parking, four bedrooms, two large reception rooms, and an inviting kitchen-cum-dining room with direct access to the main patio (there’s more than one) — is across the lane from the popular Jolly Roger pub, also for sale with the same agent, Frank O’Driscoll of Hodnett Forde. The pub is currently under offer.

The owner of The Top House — an islander born and bred — is relocating to the mainland as family members approach school-going age.

Mr O’Driscoll describes The Top House as “a wonderful, warm and welcoming home, with access to all the benefits of an amazing coastal lifestyle”.

Those benefits include worldclass beaches like Silver Strand and Cow Strand.

“It will suit a buyer looking for a change of lifestyle or someone with deep pockets looking for a holiday home,” he says.

The guide price for The Top House is €499,000 which, if achieved, will set a new record for Sherkin Island, according to the Property Price Register.

VERDICT: Who hasn’t fantasised about living on an island? This one is particularly pretty and not too remote.