A spacious, detached five-bed called White Rock lies in Gallanes, a quiet country area to the north of Clonakilty in west Cork. It was built in 2002 and remodelled by the owners in 2010. The property is now on the market through Charles McCarthy Estate Agents, seeking €945,000.
Ideal for a family looking for a lifestyle change, and who can work remotely, it offers country living just a 10-minute walk from the bustling market town of Clon, as the locals call it, and the unsurpassed beauty of wide open beaches such as Inchydoney, Owenahincha or Long Strand.
Set in a lush, elevated site with meticulously tended gardens, it’s a house of many windows, sloping eaves and surprises. The front drive is asphalt with parking for multiple cars — a two-storey garage is linked to the house by a decorative stone arch, it has parking for two cars and also contains a shower and WC, so could be easily converted to extra living, working space or even a home gym.
The front door opens into a large, hexagonal-shaped hall with high ceilings. Double doors open on to a livingroom with a stove to the front of the house. Behind this room lies another livingroom, connected to a kitchen and a bedroom with en suite that could serve as guest accommodation for a family or an au pair.
No expense has been spared in the materials put into the renovation, with solid wood floors in cherry and oak, and triple-glazed Aluclad windows, that often soar to double height at the back of the house. The owner doubled the house in size, bringing the overall area to 400sq m (4,306sq ft.) The Ber is B3 and the house has five bathrooms, along with a guest WC off the hall.
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A huge, glazed living area runs from the front to the back of the house on its left-hand side; it benefits from the sun all day long, the owners are often sitting outside on the sheltered deck at 10pm enjoying summer sunsets.
The kitchen sits in the centre of this space; it has an island, granite worktops and terracotta-tiled floors. There’s a stepped-down dining area with conservatory off it that one of the owners is using from which to work, but when their children were young they had a table-tennis table here.
Towards the back of the house, there is a huge living area with dining table, doors leading outside to the covered deck and outdoor terrace, this is very much a home where the outside comes easily in and both blend. There’s a stove here, and more doors out to the garden.
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There are four bedrooms on the first floor. The vast principal bedroom lies to the back of the house with another huge window built into the apex of the roof, with beams running down its length. There is a fabulous en suite beside it with a free-standing, claw-footed bath looking out over the countryside. Two more bedrooms also have en suites.
In the garden, as well as the usual tropical plants that thrive in the southwest such as cordyline, hydrangea and montbretia, the owner has planted Holm oak threes, maples and birches. Right-sizing, they are staying in the area, saying it is a paradise for families, with great schools in Clonakilty, all kinds of sports, including rugby and GAA and any amount of watersports to be enjoyed on the adjacent coast.
