Latest news with #MaeveMcCarthy
Irish Examiner
27-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
West Cork coastal home with sea views in Baltimore hits market for €1.35m
DESPITE a dip in viewings across many market sectors right now thanks to global uncertainties, employment worries, and a tightening economic situation, West Cork's coastal market appears to be holding ground. Many estate agents across the spectrum — rural and urban — admit that market activity has slowed over the summer months, for a variety of reasons; yet, prices are holding firm so far at strong levels given demand levels. Take a view.... Anything good, or even rare, in walk-in condition, and well-located is still moving at pace: a couple of very swift sales of very high end recent listings appears on the cards for places by the Cork coastline west of Kinsale, it's rumoured. Also reporting a quick pick up of interest is this €1.35m listing called Laguna at Cove Hill in chi-chi sailing village Baltimore (anointed with one of Ireland's most rare two-star Michelin restaurants, Dede) is auctioneer Maeve McCarthy of Skib-based Charles P McCarthy, selling Laguna for Irish owners, and saying the interest so far is mostly Irish, primarily from Dublin. Done Dede There's more than first meets the eye at Laguna, originally a 1970s build, later extended and upgraded to a good standard of finish and décor, on an elevated site of 0.7 of an acre with wide-ranging, panoramic views over Roaringwater Bay, islands such as Sherkin and Cape Clear, and out toward Mount Gabriel and Schull: Ms McCarthy bills the views as 'commanding'. Some setting It's at the end of a cul de sac above The Cove — where some of Baltimore's strongest prices of late have been achieved for places near the water or on the water: The Cove has claimed three €1m+ scalps to date and one made €1.4m. Coincidently, the property name Laguna already appears on the Price Register: a very basic level, chalet-style detached at Blue Flag beach Inchydoney near Clonakilty sold in 2023 for an extraordinary €1.15m, likely to be demolished and replaced in time. This Laguna at Inchydoney made €1.15m in 2023 Baltimore's fine-fettle Laguna is launched at €1.35m, and in local terms the trade is views from on high in exchange for water proximity: it's pretty private too given Cove Hill is only really trafficked by residents, and a handful of neighbour homes are also substantially sized/extended. Big builds Most of Laguna's c 2,990 sq ft is at ground level with three bedrooms (the main is large, at over 20' by 20', with vaulted ceilings and has a pod-like en suite within it, the other two at ground are compact) and there's one small first floor en suite bedroom. Most of the floor area is living space, and the main/front living room at 21' by 17' has a wood-burning stove in a brick and stone chimney breast, with corner window. Finishes in floors, bathrooms and kitchen are good, the energy rating is B2 with PV solar panels, and as well as the main house there's a lofted garage/boathouse with roller door and overhead Veluxes, and an adjacent garden room as a recent addition. VERDICT: Almost certainly going to bought as a second-home. Will it be wealthy Irish or from over the seas? Property & Home will run a 'Coastal Living' series of special reports and focus in next Saturday's issue.
Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- Times
20 best coastal properties to buy in Ireland now
For anyone dreaming of an idyllic holiday home with the sea on their doorstep, to facilitate a summer of swimming, sailing, surfing, lying on the beach and coastal walks, the best properties also provide a glimpse of the shimmering blue water. These come at a price and they're in demand — from Irish and international buyers. John Daly of Sherry FitzGerald Daly Kenmare points to a strong interest from American buyers that he says wasn't there 12 months ago. 'This is happening in all the Sherry Fitz offices up along the west coast,' he says. 'A huge number of Americans are coming in looking at holiday home-type properties or even full-time homes in nice locations.' • Revealed: 100 Great Places to Stay in Ireland for 2025 Maeve McCarthy of Charles McCarthy Estate Agents in Skibbereen, also notes high demand from Irish buyers, including those living overseas who want a base here. 'They want a foothold in Ireland, but not necessarily where they're from originally,' she says. Top of the list of priorities for these buyers are typically location and views, as well as a high level of finish. 'People are looking for good-quality, turnkey houses,' McCarthy says. 'They want the same standard of finish as they have in their home, or maybe a little bit down from that. If it needs a bit of work they're more reticent. They also want something that is low-maintenance to run.' We've picked out twenty coastal properties around the country that should tick plenty of boxes for even the most discerning buyers. On the outskirts of Carlingford village in Co Louth, Seascape is a stunning four-bedroom bungalow set on a 0.8 acre site overlooking the lough and the Mourne Mountains. Built in 2008, it has a B2 energy rating, 192 sq m of living space and a luxury finish throughout. Nowhere more so than in the Parkes Interiors-designed bespoke kitchen, which has quartzite worktops and backsplashes, a hidden breakfast station, and high-end appliances including a Bora induction hob and Fisher & Paykel fridge/freezer and dishwasher drawers. Inside, the best of the views are from the double-height kitchen/family room, the living room and the dual-aspect main bedroom. Outside, a large composite deck with integrated lighting is the perfect place to drink in the surroundings — and whatever else takes your fancy. Agent Set into a slope, this split-level house in Kinnalargy, near Downings in Co Donegal, has been upgraded in recent years to make the most of the light and the spectacular coastal backdrop. On the upper level, the L-shaped kitchen/dining/living room has distinctive timber panelling on the ceiling, with three floor-to-ceiling windows framing the bay on one side, plus sliding doors to an all-glass solarium and rooftop terrace on another. Three of the four bedrooms — there are two upstairs and two downstairs — also face the water. Other features include porthole windows in the utility, a concrete staircase, landscaped gardens and a separate, two-storey recreational building. Agent The decor at Bunker Lodge in Co Clare reflects the three-bedroom property's near-seaside location — the house is about 2km from both Doonbeg village and White Strand, a sandy blue flag beach. The property's showstopper is its triple-aspect first-floor living room, which has a white-painted timber-vaulted ceiling, wall panelling, a built-in window seat and glazed double doors with views of the sea, access to a deck with a fireplace and an external staircase to ground level. In addition to the 200 sq m, B3-energy rated house, there's a separate chalet with three rooms, including a wet room with double shower. The house is listed on Airbnb with a rental price of €950 a night during the summer months. Agent The Old School House in Collorus, Co Kerry, has views across Ardgroom Harbour and Kenmare Bay as well as calm and elegant interiors, luxury bathrooms, a bespoke kitchen with premium appliances and a hidden wine and cocktail bar. Run as a school for 99 years, the property was converted into a holiday home in 1967 and fully renovated last year by its current owners. The accommodation includes an entrance hall with white oak stairs, kitchen/living/dining room with two 2.8m sliding glass doors facing the views, three bedrooms, including one at ground level, a utility room, an office and three bathrooms. There's plenty more outside with nine acres of land that includes seating areas, mountain streams, a waterfall and a small lake, plus a garage. And, as far as turnkey goes, this one completely knocks it out of the park — all the contents are included in the sale. Agent On the other side of Kenmare Bay and just a few hundred metres from the N70, aka the Ring of Kerry, this detached home in Coad is within easy striking distance of the Iveragh peninsula's many outdoor activities and scenic spots. It's a short drive from Castlecove and Caherdaniel on either side and just 1.5km from Westcove Pier. The 250 sq m house has a large, triple-aspect and open-plan kitchen/living/dining room with huge picture windows and French doors delivering fabulous water and countryside views, plus access to a gravelled outdoor space where there's lots more of the same. The rest of the accommodation includes five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a utility room. An additional detached building comprises two large spaces that are separated by a drive-through arch and currently used as games and storage rooms. Agent Between Cleggan and Letterfrack in Connemara and about a ten-minute walk from Ross Beach, Inish Reach is a charmingly refurbished and extended stone cottage with panoramic sea and mountain views. The sitting room, which has partly exposed stone walls and a solid fuel stove, accounts for the lion's share of the original cottage and, like most of the rooms, has vaulted ceilings. The other main living spaces — sunroom and gorgeous triple-aspect kitchen/dining room with exposed beams — have huge windows facing out to the views at their gable ends. The 160 sq m house has three bedrooms, all with en suites, a guest WC and a utility room. Agent Spectacular and rugged countryside and coastline surround this sandstone brick-clad contemporary bungalow, which sits on an elevated 1.1 acre site on Crohy Head, Co Donegal, and was built on the site of a derelict cottage. Size wise, it's relatively modest for a new-build, with just over 140 sq m of living accommodation, but it is full of high-end features, including underfloor heating. It has three bedrooms, one with an en suite and walk-in wardrobe, and a family bathroom. The main living space is open-plan and includes a streamlined kitchen and a sitting room with a vaulted ceiling and glazing on four sides, including floor-to-ceiling windows pointing towards the views and the sunsets. The property is close to numerous beaches and is less than 10km from Dungloe. Agent At the foot of Croagh Patrick and within walking distance of lovely Bertra beach in Co Mayo, this single-storey property in Gloshpatrick was built in 2009 and renovated to a high standard in 2023. Some of the upgrades included underfloor heating and insulation, an air-to-water system, and new windows and doors. The 265 sq m house has four double bedrooms, each with an en suite, along with a guest WC and a utility room. Its kitchen/living/dining room has a wood-burning stove, huge picture windows and gorgeous Croagh Patrick vistas. The eye-catching Next 125 kitchen in anthracite and saffron is the star of the show and includes a double larder cupboard, an island unit with induction hob and a range of Kitchen Aid appliances. The house is on an acre of land with patio, lawn and a tarmac driveway, along with an 89 sq m garage with its own underfloor heating and a separate air-to-water heat pump. Agent On an elevated site overlooking the ocean and Sherkin and Cape Clear islands in west Cork, Laguna on Cove Hill offers the best of both worlds — glorious views and easy access to popular and buzzy Baltimore village. Built in the late 1970s, the house has been extended and upgraded over the years and now offers 278 sq m of B2 energy-rated space. The kitchen, dining area and living room face the stunning seascape and open to a lovely terrace. The dual-aspect main bedroom suite, which has a vaulted ceiling, reading nook/dressing room and en suite bathroom, has the sea views on one side and French doors to the garden on the other. Also on the ground floor are another sitting room, two more bedrooms and family bathroom. A fourth bedroom and a WC are upstairs. The 0.7 acre property has landscaped gardens, a boat shed and a garden room. Agent The main living spaces at Stella Maris are in a single-storey block at the back of this 335 sq m home in Myrtleville and connect via huge sliding doors to a patio, the garden and sea views beyond. In this space are the kitchen/dining area — packed with Siemens appliances including a bean-to-cup coffee machine — and an adjoining triple-aspect living room, plus a lounge that's currently used as a gym. There's another sitting room, three bedrooms, bathrooms and a utility at this level. Upstairs, the main bedroom suite and an office benefit from the views and a roof terrace. Agent Built in the late 1800s, the Links in Rosses Point, Co Sligo and its semi-detached next-door neighbour operated as a hotel before being converted into a single home and, in the 1990s, divided in two. It now has 150 sq m of accommodation — including four bedrooms — set out over four floors. The main living spaces — a reception room with reclaimed wood flooring, solid fuel stove and a bay window facing out towards the water, Oyster Island and Coney Island, and a kitchen/dining room with a cast iron fireplace — are on the ground floor. A basement, with direct access to a front courtyard, is used as a utility space and for storage. The house is next to the Yeats Country Hotel and the County Sligo Golf Club, and is close to shops, cafés and bars. The centre of Sligo is about 7.5km away. Agent Spectacular views of Cork Harbour are among the selling points at No 4 Lighthouse Terrace on Roches Point, which was built about 200 years ago and used as a post office and telegraph station before being converted into a home. Its four bedrooms include one with a vaulted ceiling, exposed rafters and a bay window with a built-in seat facing the harbour. Also upstairs are a family bathroom and a dramatic glass-floored walkway. Downstairs are a living room with another bay window and French doors to a courtyard, a smart kitchen, a utility room and a guest WC. The property's main outside space is across the road at the front on the water side and includes a patio and a decked area. Agent A former boys' school, the School House on Corbally Road in Kilkee has been restored and converted into a lovely — and quite quirky — home. In a recent project, a conservatory was added with windows on either side that links the main house to the original master's cabin, now a self-contained guest wing with bedroom and en suite, sitting/dining room and kitchenette. The rest of the accommodation includes a kitchen, living room and four more bedrooms. The house is on about an acre of land that's surrounded by stone walls and includes Liscannor stone patios and elevated gardens at the back that provide views of the countryside and down to the sea, which is a couple of fields away. Agent Built in the 1980s and extended in 1994, this detached home in Toe Head near Castletownshend stands out for several reasons, not least its 10m heated indoor swimming pool. The house spans 404 sq m, including the pool area. Four bedrooms are on the ground floor and the kitchen/living/dining room with fabulous views of the countryside is upstairs. Also at this level is a self-contained studio with a small kitchen and a fold-down wall bed, plus a bathroom and access to a terrace and exterior steps. Internally, the house has a lift as well as two staircases. It's on half an acre that includes patios and lawn, plus a kitchen garden with raised beds set in the ruins of a pre-famine cottage. Agent The clue is in the name at Dune Watch in Co Louth, a three-bedroom bungalow on a 0.3 acre site that's right next to Seapoint beach. The most dramatic space in this 172 sq m house, which is 2km from Termonfeckin, is the sitting room, which has timber-panelled, vaulted ceiling, a stove, corner windows facing the beach and glazed doors to a deck. The kitchen also has a corner of glazing and access to the deck. The house has another reception room and three bedrooms, along with two en suites, a bathroom and a utility room. Agent Carraig Aenain on Cliff Road offers up the heady mixture of full-on, close-up sea views and proximity to a range of amenities — it shouldn't take much more than five minutes to walk to Ardmore's Main Street or the beach in one direction, while the Cliff House Hotel is the other way and even closer. This 102 sq m semi-detached cottage has been fully refurbished in recent years right down to a new roof and windows. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an L-shaped kitchen/dining room with a rooflight and French doors to the outdoor space at the side. The living room is at the front and has a solid-fuel stove and cute half-opening stable doors facing on to Ardmore Bay. Agent A large conservatory with three sets of doors opening a raised terrace is probably the best spot at Heywood from which to enjoy the up-close-and-personal views across Galway Bay, the north Clare coastline and the Aran Islands. On Pier Road in Barna, this is a giant of a house with 717 sq m of living space. Apart from the conservatory, notable features include a self-contained one-bedroom guest unit with its own entrance, a sauna, detached garage with an office/gym, a cobble-lock driveway lined with shrubbery and beautiful, mature gardens at the back. Agent Properties don't come too much closer to the sea than at the Boat House on Coast Road in Blackrock, Co Louth. The 258 sq m house, which was built in the 1990s and looks on to Dundalk Bay and the Cooley Mountains, is set on 0.6 acres of land with direct access to the beach. The house has four bedrooms, various reception rooms and a lovely, tiled conservatory. One of its most special features is its 85 sq m boathouse, which operated as Blackrock's lifeboat station for several years until 1935. Agent No 4 Cliff Manor is the middle unit in a terrace of seven homes built on the site of a former hotel and in a most spectacular location on the southern slopes of Bray Head looking out towards the Irish Sea and down along the Wicklow coastline. Downstairs, the living space is pretty open-plan and has large windows on two sides facing on to a front terrace. Upstairs, the three bedrooms include a main suite with the most fabulous sea views, as well as access to a private balcony. Cliff Manor residents have exclusive access to seven acres of private gardens; No 4 also has its own private outdoor space at the back. Agent Firmly in wildcard territory as an option for a holiday home is Connemara Isles, a 56-acre property on Annaghavane Island in Co Galway comprising — among other things — a nine-hole golf course, its own natural harbour, an 1850s-built thatched house and a small island that's linked by a causeway bridge. The thatched house is now used as a bar within the 344 sq m clubhouse, which also has a function room, catering kitchen and changing rooms and could potentially be converted into a private home surrounded by the most ridiculously beautiful scenery. Agent
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
The D4 farmers: How the rich are buying up land to avoid inheritance tax
In west Cork , there has been an influx of rich Dublin buyers in the area of late. 'It is a notable trend,' local agent Maeve McCarthy, of Charles McCarthy Estate Agents in Skibbereen, says. But, rather than seek out a site with a view, or a beachfront holiday home, these buyers are coming with one purpose in mind – to reduce the inheritance tax their family will have to pay. 'High net worth families are purchasing agricultural land as a means of transferring wealth in a tax-efficient manner,' she says. It's the latest wheeze dreamt up by tax advisers to help rich families reduce tax bills when passing on assets to the next generation. READ MORE Availing of agricultural relief can mean a 90 per cent reduction in the taxable value of the asset. And not only that, but if the land is leased, subject to certain conditions, rental income can also be tax free. While the Government has become wise to the unforeseen use of the relief, more restrictive measures announced in last October's budget have yet to come into play. Non-farming families still have time to make use of the relief before the changes are legislated for. While restrictions might be warranted, long-time farmers are now struggling to make sense of the new regime and how it might hinder them from availing of the relief. Tax relief While inheritance tax thresholds apply for most Irish families, allowing assets worth up to €400,000 to be passed on tax free to each child, a different regime applies to the transfer of assets such as businesses and farms. These are attractive, as the goal is to keep the assets intact rather than forcing the recipients to sell off land – for example, to settle a tax bill. Through agricultural relief, the taxable value of such property and land can fall by as much as 90 per cent. [ Kinsale flotilla set to protest 23-hectare mussel farm Opens in new window ] 'It's a very important relief to have in place. Without that in place, tax-free thresholds wouldn't be sufficient [to keep farms intact],' says Kevin Connolly, financial management specialist with Teagasc . McCarthy agrees that 'it's a tax-efficient way of passing on the land', giving an example of a farmholding of 100 acres. With current values of about €20,000 an acre for good land in the area, this farm could be worth about €1 million. If it qualifies for agricultural relief, its taxable value would be as low as €100,000. Qualifying for the relief does require meeting certain tests. First of all, the beneficiary must be an active farmer and have farmed the land for at least six years at the date of the gift or inheritance. However, this requirement can be overcome by leasing out the land to an active farmer. Secondly, after the gift or inheritance is received by the beneficiary, at least 80 per cent of the total property value of their assets must constitute agricultural property. Relief on income tax from leasing a farm is also attractive. For example, for a lease held for between five and seven years, income of up to €18,000 a year will be exempt from income tax. This increases to €40,000 a year for leases of 15 years and more. Tax planning As McCarthy notes, while the relief is 'commendable', given its aim of helping farmers keep farms within families and allowing them to transfer from parent to child in a tax-efficient manner, its use is not always in the spirit of the relief. 'It's an unintended consequence of good intentions,' she says. 'It has been a concern over a good number of years,' agrees Connolly. 'Wealthy non-farmers would potentially see land as a way of passing on wealth to the next generation.' Tax advisory firm Warren and Partners, for example, states on its website that the 'relief can be utilised very efficiently as part of a wider inheritance tax planning exercise'. Figures from Revenue show that 1,781 taxpayers made a claim for Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) agricultural relief in 2023 (the latest figures available) at a cost to the exchequer of €246.6 million. This is up substantially – by 55 per cent on a value basis – from 2019 when 1,413 claims were made, at a value of €158.6 million. 'Having non-farmers coming in and buying land for wealth transfers doesn't do any favours for the farming community,' says Connolly. [ Scientists accuse Ireland of 'accounting trick' to justify livestock emissions Opens in new window ] It's one reason why land prices are increasing. 'They [high net worth individuals] are starting to have an impact on prices,' says McCarthy, noting that local and younger farmers are being priced out of the area. 'They [local farmers] will lease the land but will never end up owning it,' she says, adding that rental values have also increased substantially in the last 12 months. According to the 2025 Teagasc/Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland Agricultural Land Market Review and Outlook Report, average land rental prices are expected to increase by 7 per cent in 2025. In Munster, average rental prices are expected to rise by 8 per cent. The role of investors is one reason cited for rising land values. While there is a risk in buying land for CAT reasons – will it appreciate in value, or can it be leased? – Connolly says demand for agricultural land is high, particularly in areas where dairying is quite strong. 'It's the most profitable enterprise at the moment,' says Connolly. 'If land comes up for long-term lease near a dairy farm, you will have interest in it.' Clampdown In last October's budget, then minister for finance Jack Chambers tightened eligibility for use of the regime to 'safeguard agricultural relief for the genuine active farmer and the next generation of farmers'. Noting that the relief 'is an important measure to allow our young people to pursue their lives on the family farm', the minister said 'agricultural land has increased in value above inflation, and it is difficult for genuine farmers to purchase the land they need for farming'. To address issues of the relief being used 'as part of tax planning strategies by wealthy individuals', Mr Chambers said he would extend the six-year active farmer test to the person who provides the gift or inheritance. This means that it's not just the person inheriting the land who will have to pass the active farmer's test, the person gifting it will have to too. The person gifting the land will now have to show that they either have an agricultural qualification and have farmed the property on a commercial basis; or they have spent 50 per cent of their normal working time farming; or they have leased the land to someone who fulfils these requirements; or they have combined farming with leasing. The change is expected to yield about €15 million on a full-year basis. The regime has been tightened previously: for example, cash gifts, used to purchase farm land within two years, would have qualified for relief at one time, but this no longer applies. Similarly, the lease exemption was tightened in the 2023 budget. You can no longer buy a farm and lease it immediately. You have to wait seven years before you can claim the tax-free income, although there are exemptions. However, the commencement order required for these changes to take effect has yet to be announced. Impact on farmers In the meantime, farmers are left struggling with the uncertainty that now surrounds the relief. 'What was proposed caught people unawares in the farming community,' says Connolly, adding that the budget measures are 'quite a blunt instrument'. 'There are some angles to it that would catch out a genuine farm transfer.' Marty Murphy, head of tax with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) , has counted 15 scenarios that could negatively impact farmers, including where life interests apply and where there is no formal lease. He gives the example of a farmer who also works as a schoolteacher, and thus doesn't meet the 20 hours a week farming requirement, and the tax bill that can arise. [ More than 20 Irish companies on Asian trade mission Opens in new window ] Another issue is where a farmer has to go into a nursing home at short notice and there isn't time to agree a lease. The farmer may not fulfil the requirement for six years' active farming immediately ahead of transfer. Farmers are now hoping the budget measures will be changed before they become law, to ensure their interests are protected. Murphy doesn't expect any change until this October's budget, but adds that rushing to get in ahead of any changes is not always practical. 'Succession is not something you can do over an afternoon coffee,' says Murphy. 'It's a very sensitive topic, and you need to have a very well co-ordinated plan.' Nonetheless, for those who have been planning to get a succession plan in motion, his advice is: 'Don't delay, get transferring as quick as possible.' The fear remains that, when introduced, the new regime will 'inadvertently catch genuine farm transfers in the net', says Connolly. A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance says consultation and engagement with farmers and stakeholders 'to ensure that there are no unintended consequences in relation to these measures' is ongoing. But will the changes still do what was originally planned? High net worth people have very good advisers – and very good advisers usually find ways around these things, says Connolly.
