One of the reasons west Cork is so beautiful is that its scenic spots have, for the most part, been fiercely protected. Like the Blackwater river that catches the other end of the county as it runs down to Waterford and the sea, the Bandon is beautiful. And, like the Blackwater, there are some fantastic houses dotted along its banks.
There has been a building at Knockroe, just on the edge of Innishannon, since 1300. Carrigonassig Castle reportedly fell in 1601, and some of its stones were used in 1800 to build Rock Castle, the four-bedroom Georgian country house now for sale with Sherry FitzGerald Brennan Busteed for €1.25 million.
The current owners, who have lived here for more than a quarter of a century, found the house by chance.
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“We had gone to look at another house, thinking it was for sale. The owner invited us in for coffee. And no, his house wasn’t for sale, but he’d heard that this one was,” she says.
Pleasant places
Right on the banks of the river, with its own boathouse (in need of some repair) and little jetty, it was love at first sight. Even though it is, as the owner eloquently describes it, "a private haven that's separated in nature", you're still very close to Kinsale, Bandon and half an hour to Cork city. Innishannon itself is a pretty village, and the excellent Rohu's Country Market there is a must.
There are about two acres of beautifully planted gardens, with lawns and outbuildings, plus patios and pleasant places to sit. Inside, when the tide is high, you can look right out to the water and it is, as the owner says, “like you’re looking off the bow of a ship”.
While outside is extremely special, it is very nice inside too. The entrance hall opens left to a lounge and a sunroom, where the owner has her easel set up for painting, and right to a cosy sittingroom, study – which has double doors to the garden – and on to a nice country-style kitchen/diningroom with deliciously thick walls and an Aga.
Upstairs the house rambles over different levels, showing how new parts were added in different eras.
There are four bedrooms and a family bathroom. The master is en suite, with a dressing room. The rooms at the front have views of the river, but on the other side, you get the sound of a babbling stream that lends extra music to life on the property.
A previous owner apparently seldom left the house. He caught and smoked his own fish and ate from the garden. Spending a sunny morning here, I can start to see why.
