Co Kerry: An editor's seaside retreat on the scenic Ring of Beara is asking €600,000 with Sean Daly & Co of Kenmare.

Once part of the Lansdowne estate and dating from the late 18th century, the two-bedroom traditional stone farmhouse has been restored with sensitivity to its classic elegance.

The restoration work was carried out in the 1970s by respected local artist Clare Aylett. Modern comforts were added without changing the essential look of the picturesque exterior.

It was subsequently acquired as a permanent home in 1980 by former American diplomat and writer Edward O'Neill and his editor wife Lois.

Widowed in the mid-1990s, Lois O'Neill has maintained the farmhouse over the years, constantly upgrading the water system and heating.

One of the O'Neill's most enduring legacies is a wonderful Robinsonian-style natural garden, which they lushly planted with native trees, camellias, semi-tropical plants and ferns.

An enormous gunnera is one of the finest specimens in the country. Called simply "O'Neills", the farmhouse is in the tiny hamlet of Canfee, near Tuosist and equidistant from Kenmare and Castletownbere. Secluded by mature trees, the house sits on a hill above Kenmare Bay, with panoramic views to the Macgillycuddy reeks and Carrauntoohil.

The sea is a short stroll from the front door.

Inside, exposed stone walls, beamed ceilings, flagged floors and wood-burning fireplaces provide a cosy country cottage feel. There is a kitchen with a wood-panelled ceiling, an electric Aga and a full range of appliances.

An attractive wood-burning fireplace with beamed mantelpiece is a central feature in the diningroom.

Flags are laid in the sittingroom, which has beams, bookshelves and a gas stove set into a stone-clad traditional fireplace. Upstairs, both bedrooms have high cathedral ceilings and built-in wardrobes.

A stone building used for storage could be converted to a studio or home office.

Ruins of other stone buildings have been used to create a walled garden for soft fruit.

Lois O'Neill, who is moving to a retirement home by the sea in Maryland in the US, is hoping someone will fall in love with the house, as they did, and buy it as a home rather than a holiday place.

"Even in winter, to live with the sight and sound of the sea and the constantly changing light has been wonderful," she says.