With breathtaking views over Lough Derg, Derrymount, a chocolate-box pretty thatched house stands on more than 1.6 hectares (4 acres) of manicured grounds.
But what is masquerading as a quaint thatched cottage is actually a five-bedroom home extending to 260sq m (2,799sq ft).
The site – considered to be one of the best in the area – was first purchased by Heinrich Switzer, who was chief engineer at Siemens for the Ardnacrusha power station, Ireland’s largest river hydroelectric scheme. After his death the current house was constructed by a board member of Guinness Peat Aviation, and was then purchased by its current owners in 2004.
Sturdy solid-wood front gates adjoining dry-stone piers at the start of the meandering tree-lined driveway give an indication that this is a well-constructed house.
The finish is top notch, from the La Cornue stove in the bespoke Richard Burke kitchen to the most impressive adjacent garage, constructed by UK firm Prime Oak. The entire structure is made from kiln-dried French oak and has superb views from the upper level.
Internally the house has five bedrooms, and the principal – on the ground floor – is most impressive. As well as being dual-aspect with lovely lake views, it opens out on to the gardens through sliding patio doors.
Two reception rooms lie off a generous hallway, while a study, good-sized utility and fifth bedroom are the only rooms to face the front – allowing the remainder of the 260sq m (2,799sq ft) to have views of the lake.
The owner recently undertook rethatching the property: “We installed a thatch fire board from the Thatch Advisory Service in the UK, so even if it needs to be rethatched again in 30 to 40 years, it is fully watertight underneath. We also used Turkish reeds as they are wider in diameter and last longer as they grow by lakes compared to Irish thatch, which grows on river estuaries so the rise and fall of tides means it’s not as durable”.
Along with the house and just over 1.6 hectares (4 acres) of gardens, the property has a newly built boathouse and harbour on the shore. While the property does not have direct water access, it has both a pedestrian and a vehicular right-of-way to the boathouse and harbour.
Boathouses along the shores of Lough Derg are as rare as hen’s teeth.
“We had to dig down 12m to get to the bedrock and then constructed it of concrete and brick.”
Built in 2016, internally, the boathouse, which is clad with local Portroe stone, has a depth of 10 feet so can accommodate vessels with deep drafts, and benefits from a electrohydraulic powered door.
The site is home to a family of red squirrels and a large population of songbirds who provide a lovely chorus at dawn. The lake itself it noted for water sports and Mayfly fishing.
The property, which has a Ber of D1, is on the market through joint agents Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Sherry FitzGerald Talbot who have listed the property at €1.4 million to include the adjacent boathouse and harbour or €1.15 million without.
