High-spec home on Baltimore harbour for €1.895m

Slipway House, an enticing five-bedroom waterfront property, is a few minutes’ walk outside the village of Baltimore in Co Cork. The property is about as far west as you can go; the next stop on the road is the Baltimore Beacon tower. It overlooks the harbour, bustling with activity. One of the owners describes feeling like he is permanently on holiday living here.

When the owners bought the property in 2020 – for €800,000, according to the Property Price Register – they began a complete renovation of the house and gardens, excavating at the front and transforming the footprint of the house and the gardens, on more than half an acre. By building out and squaring off the ground and first floors, they created a five-bed with four bathrooms extending to 362sq m (3,896sq ft), and have made the most of the views by situating the living areas on the middle floor.

Vast slabs of local rock are now steps leading up to a side entrance door, crafted in solid teak, which opens into an entrance lobby with a herringbone oak parquet floor. An open arch on the right draws you through to the open-plan living area with picture windows looking out over the harbour.

This is a spectacular space, with the kitchen and the dining and living areas benefiting from the sea views; double bifold doors open on to a large deck that gets the sun all day. A charming sittingroom espouses the coastal design aesthetic prevalent throughout the house, with subtle pastels, exposed brick and stone and wood panelling. Insulated during the renovations, the Ber of the house is now C2.

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To the rear of the living area is an office, which leads on to a conservatory, used as a yoga studio. This space opens on to a balcony, where the family like to have breakfast. There is also a WC, a butler’s pantry and a linen store on this floor.

Downstairs, in the basement, are four bedrooms, all decorated with wood panelling, and a central den area the owner says is ideal for watching sport. Three of the bedrooms open on to the garden leading down to the water, perfect for an early-morning dip, and one of the bedrooms is a self-contained suite with exposed brick walls, tiled floors, an en suite and a kitchenette.

On the third floor of the house is the main bedroom, which has a vast picture window framing the view. It has an en suite with a slipper bath, and walk-in his-and-her wardrobes.

The gardens were well established when the owners bought the property, with tropical planting typical of the area including cordyline, montbretia and rhododendron. There’s a fantastic sunken courtyard behind the house with a fire pit that is lit on summer evenings; the owners often use it as an outdoor cinema, with a barbecue on hand. A southeast corner of the garden proved the perfect spot to build a raised deck from which to enjoy the setting sun. A pair of wandering peacocks visit the garden from time to time, the owners say.

Baltimore and the surrounding coastline is heaven for the sailing enthusiast. Opportunities to enjoy the water will be endless, with swims in nearby Lough Hyne, kayaking and paddle boarding in the harbour and excursions on the ferry or your own Rib (rigid inflatable boat) to Sherkin and Cape Clear islands.

The owners are selling as they want to spend more time visiting their children abroad. Slipway House is on the market through Charles McCarthy estate agents, seeking €1.895 million.