City to Country: Urban living at refurbished Dundrum home or scenic ocean views at €395k West Cork harbour

Much-changed since the current owners bought it seven years ago, No 10 Millmount Terrace in Dundrum now has a stylish modern interior and a contemporary kitchen extension at the rear.

“The two-bed terrace home has been completely refurbished and redesigned and is light filled and modern with 81 sq m of living space,” says Bronwen Barry of Sherry FitzGerald quoting a guide of €525,000.

Open plan ground floor accommodation includes a timber-floored living room with a fireplace and archway opening into a kitchen/diner with contemporary white handleless units and a bright dining area with full-height windows and a patio door. In the rear extension there’s a bathroom and a small utility space.

A staircase with a glass balustrade leads to the first floor which has two bedrooms, one at the front and one at the rear. The owners upgraded the heating and windows (fitting triple glazed at the front) which brought the BER up to a C2.

To the rear of the property there’s a well-kept garden with a patio and lawn.

Ms Barry says the property is well-located close to Dundrum Town Centre and offers access to the city centre: “It’s within a short walk from green [line] Luas stops at Milltown and Windy Arbour,” she notes.

No 10, which sold in 2016 for €300,000, isn’t the first renovated house to come on the market in Millmount Terrace. No 1, a larger double-fronted house, sold in 2020 for €730,000 having previously sold for €475,000 in 2016.

VERDICT: Smartly done.

When they had built their dream country residence at Kilroe East, Inverin in Connemara the owners borrowed from Greek mythology and named it Arcadia.

Setting out to provide themselves with all they needed for an idyllic rural existence they built a detached annex for use as a pottery studio and a games room and, on their 0.75ac site, they put up a polytunnel, created raised vegetable beds and also planted a great many trees, shrubs and flowers.

Guiding the early 2000s-built property at €475,000, Martin O’Connor of DNG O’Connor says it’s a very modern home with a B2 BER and a great deal of charm. “It’s located within a short drive from An Trá Mhór, Trá Sáilín, and from Spiddal, and is commutable from Galway city ( 22km),” he reveals.

There’s 173 sq m of living space in the dormer bungalow, which includes a living room with a stove and a kitchen/diner with shaker-style units. 

The ground floor has an en suite bedroom and a utility room while the upstairs has a bathroom, two bedrooms and a galleried mezzanine area used as an office. In the 60 sq m annex, there’s a pottery studio, a games room, a WC, and a garden room.

VERDICT: A ready-made Arcadia for a buyer in search of a rural lifestyle.

Offering unobstructed sea views and proximity to one of West Cork’s most popular fishing villages, this modern bungalow at Leenane near Crookhaven is set to attract sailing enthusiasts, holiday home hunters, and retirees.

Built in 2008, it’s a three-bed property which overlooks the harbour at the front and has even better views from a decked patio located high up on a rocky gorse-covered hillside behind it.

Seeking offers of €395,000, Caroline Galvin of DNG Galvin says this a modern, light-filled property has been used as a family holiday home and is very well maintained.

“It’s located less than 3km from Crookhaven village and pier and is within 6km of Barleycove and Goleen and 20km from Schull,” she adds.

There’s 82 sq m of accommodation which includes a tiled kitchen-diner with cream gloss units and large windows offering views across the harbour.

There’s also a bathroom, a front bedroom with sea views,and two bedrooms at the rear (one en suite). Fitted with oil-fired heating, it has a D1 BER.

Set on a site of close to 0.5ac, it has decking at the front, a patio and some sheds at the side, and a set of steps leading up to a large decked area on the hill.

Ms Galvin says the location and especially the sea views make it perfect for holidays.

VERDICT: A coastal West Cork property with scenic harbour views — it shouldn’t be hard to sell.

The old stone and brickwork at The Forge, Wells, Ballyedmond, in Wexford, lends a handsome and distinctive appearance to the 19th century property which has been transformed into a five-bed home.

John Keane of Keane Auctioneers says it was in use as a forge until the 1970s but is now a comfortable, tastefully decorated property with old-world character and mostly triple-glazed windows.

A spacious property which has the appearance of two amalgamated cottages, it was extended and converted for residential use by previous owners and redecorated by its current ones.

Offering 213 sq m of living space, it has a sunroom at the rear and a central living/dining room with exposed walls, beamed ceiling and log burning stove. In addition, there’s a kitchen/diner, pantry/utility, WC, bathroom and an en suite bedroom.

An open-tread staircase in the living room leads up to two bedrooms while a staircase in the kitchen leads up to two more bedrooms on the other side of the property.

Guiding at €475,000, The Forge is on a site of close to an acre and has a double garage and a patio with a pizza oven.

Located within a short drive from local beaches, it’s 6km from Kilmuckridge, 18km from Gorey, and 19km from Curracloe Beach.

Mr Keane says it’s going to appeal to Dublin buyers looking for a lifestyle change as well as returning emigrants looking for a home near the coast.

VERDICT: Highly individual and characterful.