Transformed Donegal Gaeltacht cottage in an epic setting for €1.375m

Irish Times

6 days ago

Address
:
Horizon House, Lackenagh, Burtonport, Co Donegal
Price
:
€1,375,000
Agent
:
Lisney Sotheby's International Realty
View this property on MyHome.ie
In the
Donegal
Gaeltacht
of the Rosses and sheltered from the wild Atlantic by a series of islands, Horizon House is a pristinely renovated three-bedroom, three-bathroom property on 4.3 acres of land, which extends down to the shoreline.
About 1.5km north of fishing port Burtonport, it is a perfectly positioned home; it offers a front-row seat from which to watch the sun slowly sink below the horizon line. The view includes several islands, including Arranmore, and you can tell the time by its ferry departures as they traverse Rutland Sound. Horizon House is on the
market
through
Lisney Sotheby's International Realty
, seeking €1.375 million.
At midsummer, this part of the country enjoys a slice of the white nights enjoyed by upper Scandinavia for it doesn't get dark until almost midnight.
The epic setting comes with a few epic tales, too. The original part of the property is a single storey, stone-built cottage dating from the 1850s. Its front porch and door frame is said to be made with timber and flagstones scavenged from a Spanish Armada galleon wrecked in the sound. The flagstones in the porch area and the hearth stone under the stove in the large hall are also said to have been sourced from the same ship.
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The original house
Stunning views
Kitchen
Livingroom
Living area
Dining area
Wood-burning stove in entrance hall
The tradition of reusing ship timbers either from wrecks or abandoned hulks is a long one, says a spokesperson for the National Monuments service. 'Evidence points to a strong link between coastal communities and Ireland's rich maritime heritage, with 'fruits of the sea' and resources from old wrecks being utilised by local residents in the building of their houses and barns through time,' they say.
Whatever their origins, the salvaged materials offer a unique selling point to a smartly modernised house that has an impressive A3 Ber.
The renovation doffs a cap at its heritage with a Baumit insulation-wrapped exterior emulating the whitewashed cottages of yore, and a lime-washed interior with wide plank oak flooring adding visual warmth. The physical warmth comes from underfloor heating at ground-floor level and there is a mechanical ventilation heat-recovery system to maintain clean air, even when you're not there.
Horizon House, Lackenagh, Burtonport, Co. Donegal
Bedroom
Bedroom
Horizon House, Lackenagh, Burtonport, Co. Donegal
Beyond the porch and its historic floor, there is a large entrance hall with a wood-burning stove providing a warm welcome.
The first of the property's three bedrooms, an en suite space, is to the left. There is a bathroom and utility to the right. The bathrooms throughout are notable with hotel-calibre finishes and travertine floors.
Straight ahead is a long, four-bay, open-plan room comprising the kitchen and living areas. Each set of Crittall-style aluminium glazing features double doors that open out, all framing beguiling views. This is a space that you will spend a lot of time in and likely welcome stormy weather, for the home offers safe harbour from the elements. The owners describe it as 'feeling protected' by the house.
Upstairs are two more double bedrooms, one of which is en suite.
The house comes with a second building, a converted barn that is timber-clad and extends to 49sq m (527sq ft). This includes its attic space, which is furnished with a bed.
The grounds have been landscaped by Churchill-based George Gamble to make a feature of the boulders that form part of the landscape, with a path circumnavigating the acreage and winding along the shore. You can swim from here at high tide.
The property is adjacent to Purt Pier, where there is a slipway, and is about 7km from Dungloe.