Domaine man Karl O'Hanlon left a career in Irish banking in 2002 and is developing homes on a wine estate in the Languedoc
DUBLINER KARL O'Hanlon, a man with energy and vision and a not uneventful life, thought all of his birthdays had come at once when he first saw the Château Les Carrasses on its 19th century wine estate near Béziers in the French Languedoc.
Newly in business on his own, and on the lookout for a property to restore as a residential development, he says he "knew it was exactly right for what I wanted to do. It was the middle of the recession at the time, and took a bit of courage, but I bought it."
Bought it, got planning permission and is in the throes of restoring, renovating and recreating 28 elegant residential units in the château and its outbuildings. He is also, "because it was at the heart of what this place once was", bringing the winery back to life, to be run by local winemaker David Alcaraz.
There's enthusiasm for the development in the nearby village of Quarante too: mayor Gilbert Riveyrand is warmly and notably supportive.
O'Hanlon still has the air of a man dazed by his good fortune in finding the Château Les Carrasses. With France officially out of recession, and all but three of the 28 units sold, it's hard to argue with his instinct that "nothing in the region came even close" to Château Les Carrasses for the traditional and sustainable development he had in mind and expects to finish mid-2011.
There's a peace about Château Les Carrasses. The approach, along the winding, vine-lined road to its gates, is peaceful too. This may have something to do with the fact that the château was built in 1886 on the foundations of a rest stop on the Saint Jacques de Compostelle pilgrim route.
Or it may simply have to do with the civilisation of the sun in this part of the world where, at 10am on an August morning, cicadas clamour in 30°C and the views from the topmost tower room, where a one-bed apartment is still available, are of a green and terracotta land with Narbonne's cathedral on its skyline and the hazily distant Pyrenees beyond that.
Architect Francois Thousouze has designed the château apartments and houses with an eye to the high ceilings and beams, stone walls, corbelling and courtyards of the original 19th century design by architect Louis Garros. There are views everywhere from unexpected angles.
All units will be fully furnished, from linen to artworks, in consultation with owners.
Ranging in size from four bedrooms down to one, those not in the château itself will be in the soaring spaces of the original winery, granary, forge and barn, others in what were the homes of the estate's managers and gardeners.
Shared facilities will include a salon and screening room, swimming pool (though some have private pools), clay tennis court, a terrace overlooking the vineyards, newly landscaped acres and gardens and an outdoor cooking /partying space beneath the trees.
Owners can take part in the winemaking too and get a share in the yield - a not to be sniffed at 40 or 50 cases of wine a year.
Karl O'Hanlon's company Domaine & Demeure also offers a property management service, from maintenance to a full letting service, the latter estimated to bring in a net yield of around 4 per cent.
His enthusiasm for the venture is infectious, his passion for buildings and design the likely result of four generations of builders in the family. "My grandfather built all of Ballincollig in the 1940s . . ."
He and wife Anita, another Dubliner, are these days happily making their lives in the Languedoc with their children Cora May, Daisy and Antonio. Time was when he and Anita were students together in UCD and, later, in Oxford. Time was too when O'Hanlon had a successful career with Bank of Ireland.
All of that was before 2002, the year he "started to investigate" the Languedoc, got involved in real estate and went on to become managing director of a south of France agency.
By 2006, he says, "things were good enough for us to come and live here as a family. Eventually, he went out on his own. With Domaine & Demeure he aims to pursue "sustainable real estate and tourism in the south of France".
Prices in the Château Les Carrasses development range from €207,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to around €700,000 for a four-bed.
O'Hanlon is adamant that he is "not going to put prices up" and says he is "going for a 13 per cent profit margin and no more".
There are still three apartments on the market in the development. La Tour, a 36sq m (388sq ft) apartment at the top of the château's tower, has one bedroom, costs €207,000 unfurnished, €220,500 furnished.
La Grenier, in the old granary building, is 77sq m (829sq ft) and has two bedrooms, a balcony and garden and costs €388,950 unfurnished, €409,950 furnished.
L'Hibou is in what used to be the barn. It has two/three bedrooms, 106sq m (1,141sq ft) of space, a balcony and garden and costs €506,950 unfurnished, €559,950 furnished. You can have a private pool with l'Hibou for an additional €26,500.
There are direct flights to the Languedoc region from Dublin to Carcassonne, Girona and Montpelier, all within driving distance of Château Les Carrasses.
Contact: Karl O'Hanlon
Domaine & Demeure info@domaindemeure.com
0033 467776560. www.domainedemeure.com
