Co Clare/€675,000: Sunyata Retreat Centre near Sixmilebridge in Co Clare has spectacular views and this 10-acre hillside property would be ideal for those seeking time out from modern life. It carries a guide price of €675,000.
Established in 1998 by Stanley and Clare de Freitas, the centre specialises in Buddhist meditation retreats but also caters for personal retreats and peaceful holidays. At capacity, it caters for 24.
All the buildings are situated around a central courtyard featuring a Buddhist Stupa fountain. The couple have put their hearts and souls into the project but, due to family commitments, they plan to move to Devon.
Potential buyers should be aware that the vendors have stipulated that new owners must operate Sunyata in a similar vein as a centre for spiritual development.
"We are committed to a vision of Sunyata and we really want it to continue as a centre for retreats or resident community-based projects," says Stanley de Freitas.
The focal point of Sunyata is the beautiful 65 sq m (700 sq ft) meditation hall building. It has wooden floors and ceilings, stained glass windows and views of the countryside. Downstairs, the meditation hall building sleeps up to seven in two sleeping rooms with built-in beds. It also has a kitchenette and a shower room.
The main dwelling is a 71.5 sq m (770 sq ft) 1930s farmhouse recently dry-lined with oil-fired central heating and double-glazed windows. Downstairs it has a livingroom with open fireplace, kitchen with a solid fuel range, utility area and shower room. Upstairs there are four bedrooms and a bathroom. Two other farm buildings around the Stupa fountain provide comfortable accommodation for eight guests.
The lands around Suntaya are an oasis of tranquillity. Included in the 10-acre site are two acres of landscaped gardens featuring cherry trees, a bamboo grove, a beech-lined driveway, fruit bushes and a "mandala-shaped" vegetable patch.
A series of interlinked ponds is brimming with multi-coloured koi carp. A pathway alongside an archery range winds through a stone circle to a picturesque waterfall.
The property also includes two acres of mainly hardwood forestry which was planted some five years ago.
Sunyata Retreat Centre is located on a tranquil hillside about a half-mile off the Sixmilebridge-Broadford road in south-east Clare.
The location, some 15 miles from Shannon Airport, would be a major asset to anyone considering aiming the retreat centre at an international market. While this unusual property may attract a lot of interest, the vendors stress that only potential buyers genuinely committed to maintaining the ethos of Sunyata should make inquiries.
The Sunyata Retreat Centre is currently on the books of Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon, Shannon, Co Clare, and Green Valley Properties, Bodyke, Co Clare.
