House looks for owner with soul of poet

In a world where almost all the news is demoralizing, it’s a pleasant relief to dream of cosy hideaways in far away places. A woman who is the friend of a regular Canada Free Press contact is putting up a little bit of heaven for sale in Ireland

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Ireland, land of the poet and haunting music, is also home to fabulous out of the way houses on landscapes that defy description. Bluebell Creek House is a two-storey, traditional-design building sitting on two acres of flat land, most of which is paddock at present. The storybook property is bordered on three sides by woods and a river, ending half way across the river. Visitors to Bluebell Creek say they couldn’t have possibly dreamed a more beautiful setting, down to the natural waterfall at the end of the garden. The sound from the waterfall and the river running is an every day, natural personal orchestra. From the plumes of smoke from the chimney in the winter sky to the barefoot children of summer, every season has its own calendar beauty. But each springtime, the ground is carpeted by bluebells and snowdrops, hence the charming house name. There are fruit trees in the back garden, and even a river beach for lazy summer afternoon picnics. The house itself faces southwest and has three bedrooms, two shower rooms, an open plan living/dining/kitchen area with the typical Irish hearth, a welcoming open fireplace. A rear entrance leads to an old fashioned porch. There are lots of options for renovating. For example, one downstairs room, which at present is being used as a study/spare bedroom, could be converted into a bigger kitchen area. The house is equipped with oil fired central heating, electric/oil immersion boiler, main electricity, telephone, Line of Vision internet and satellite TV. Two wooden outbuildings, built on concrete bases, fully-insulated and equipped with electricity, one of them with running water, come with the property. These are presently being used as artists’ studios, but would suit a plethora of other purposes. This is Ireland straight out of travel brochures! The property sits on the edge of a nature reserve, made up of old oak forest, meandering streams, ancient stone walls and bridges, where you might imagine getting a peek of a leprechaun lazing in the sun. There are official walks and cycle paths, in a valley just below the Caha Mountains. The mountain range borders the famous counties of Cork and Kerry, two of the most scenic counties in all of Ireland. The lakes of Kerry are just a short drive away on the road to Killarney. The school bus for primary schools (of which Glengarriff has two) stops at the gate of the property, and for secondary schools, just down the road at the nearest bridge. the town of Bantry is a 25 minutes’ drive away, or alternatively, the town of Kenmare, in Kerry, is approximately 20 minutes away. Both are full-service towns with banks, schools, libraries, hospitals, etc. Glengarriff Village, which is as charming as it sounds, is three miles from the house, on the tourist route for the Ring of Kerry. It has hotels, a hostel, pubs, restaurants, shops, a petrol station and mechanic, a medical centre with two doctors, and a post office. Glengarriff is a beautiful village sitting tranquilly on Bantry Bay, surrounded by mountains, and comes with an 18-hole golf course for the link set. There are trips by boat out to Garnish Island, which is home to an old Italian garden. “I have dropped the original asking price, first from €495,000 to €475,000 and now to €460,000 to reflect the current market,” says owner Jacqueline Daunt. “However, I will consider any serious offer made by chain-free buyers.” If you were born in Ireland and have long dreamed of returning to the Emerald Isle, or even if your profession means you must make the move, to a quiet place where the shamrocks grow, Ms. Daunt can be reached at: jackiedaunt@hotmail.com or telephone: 353-27-63665. As the song says, “There’s a bit of Irish in all of us.”