13-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Independent
Four on the market: homes in picturesque locations
Ballynew North, Moyard, Co Galway
€950,000, DNG Martin O'Connor (091) 866 708
You mightn't expect to see such a stylish, contemporary home in the wilds of Connemara, but this modern mansion designed by architects Sean Dockry & Associates blends beautifully with its scenic surroundings.
Completed in 2012, the house is on an elevated site of over 2ac with countryside and sea views stretching across to Inishbofin and Clare Island.
The interiors have an abundance of natural light and to make the most of those Atlantic views, the house has an upside-down layout, with the main living areas upstairs, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and a wraparound balcony.
There's a great sense of scale at this level, where a triple-aspect kitchen/dining room with island unit, granite worktops and tiled flooring leads on to a living room.
The four bedrooms (all ensuite), a utility room and a store room are on the ground floor.
The total floor area is 2,713 sq ft and the house comes with a cosy B2 BER rating. It's a 15-minute drive to Clifden and Connemara National Park.
Rossdowne House, Ballinahinch Lower, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow
€1.395m, George & Maguire Properties (01) 284 4344
Rossdowne House comes with 3.7ac featuring a wooded area, lawns, mature trees and a stream separating a paddock to the rear.
There's also a private deck with views of the Wicklow Hills.
At 3,896 sq ft, this is a four times the size of an average family home, and it has an energy-efficient A2 BER rating.
ADVERTISEMENT
Learn more
The main living space is an open-plan kitchen/breakfast room with a large island unit, double Aga cooker and French doors to a sunroom overlooking the garden and countryside.
Next to that is a utility room with access to the back garden. Also on the ground floor are three ensuite bedrooms (one with a walk-in wardrobe) and a family bathroom.
Upstairs are two more bedrooms, both ensuite, and a large, open-plan living room with double doors to a balcony.
Brae House, Rathmullan, Co Donegal
€795,000, Sherry FitzGerald (01) 237 6308
With its sandy shores, lovely landscapes and easy-going village vibe, Rathmullan is a popular place with both tourists and residents.
From the remains of Rathmullan Abbey, built as a priory for Carmelites by local chieftains in 1518, to the pier from which the last of the Irish clan leaders left the country for good during the Flight of the Earls in 1607, this village punches well above its weight in terms of historical heritage.
A pebble's throw from the beach, Brae House is an early 19th-century house that's been well cared for by generations of owners. On over an acre, it's in the heart of the village with views over Lough Swilly.
The 3,391 sq ft home opens into an entrance hallway with feature fireplace – a cosy place to sit rather than just hang up your hat.
On the ground floor are a kitchen with Aga cooker, breakfast room, utility room with access to an adjoining garage, a home office, wet room and a drawing room.
Upstairs are four double bedrooms. Downstairs, the basement has storage space and leads to a sunroom overlooking the garden.
There are surfing and sailing schools nearby, along with a choice of hiking and walking trails. Letterkenny is 23km away and it's 32km to Derry.
Glebe House, Farrantemple, The Rower, Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny
€850,000, Sherry FitzGerald McCreery, (056) 772 1904
Dating back to c1850, this handsome home is on almost 6ac, including 3.8ac of agricultural land suitable for grazing livestock and 2.2ac of landscaped grounds.
The gardens are a haven for nature and wildlife with a wilded paddock, an owl box and a walled garden set out in lawn with specimen plants, trees, shrubs and flowerbeds.
Since the current owners bought Glebe House in 1997, it has been completely refurbished, without losing any of its character or heritage.
Period features include high ceilings with cornicing and centre roses, sash windows with shutters and original fireplaces.
The 2,766 sq ft house has a drawing room, dining room, kitchen/dining room, pantry, utility room and family room downstairs, with four bedrooms and dressing room.
There's a big bonus outside in the form of a coach house that has been converted to a self-contained home of 1,460 sq ft. This has a kitchen/dining/living space and utility room at ground level, with three bedrooms (one ensuite) upstairs.
Glebe House is on the edge of The Rower, a pretty village in the valley of the River Barrow and on the slopes of Brandon Hill, about 30km from Waterford and Kilkenny.
