A magnet for boating and equine enthusiasts, pilgrims and lovers of magnificent lush lakeshore countryside, Lough Derg is one of those places that remind you that there's much more to Ireland than our coastline. Dotted around its 32,000 acres (it's the third-largest lake on this island) are some wonderful houses, and one of them, Ceaparana, has just come to market.
At €2.35 million with Sotheby’s, it’s quite a house. Built just over 20 years ago, it has 10 bedrooms (two in a semi-separate apartment), games room, gym, sauna, sun room, plus large-yet-cosy reception rooms, laid out over three levels.
It’s set in 127 acres of gardens, pastures and lake frontage, with rambling walks, plus boathouse, old walled garden (in need of restoration), and an atmospheric dilapidated cottage that could use some love if you felt in need of a project. But you probably wouldn’t, because there’s so much more to occupy your time: whether it’s boating – the boathouse accommodates a six-berth cruiser – walking, riding, fishing, golf, bird watching or just revelling in the landscape.
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‘Tranquillity and peacefulness’
The current owners bought the house in 2004 from the Swiss owner, who had built it. That accounts for its chalet-style layout and vibe, and exceptionally high levels of build quality and engineering. It has a BER of B3, which is quite something for a house constructed in 1994.
“We instantly fell in love with it,” says the owner, who had acquired it as a holiday home. Having spent many summers on and around the lake, staying in various friends’ houses, it was “the sheer tranquillity and peacefulness of the site” that appealed. “There are not many properties like this on Lough Derg,” the owner says, adding that “the view onto the lake from the main rooms is to die for.”
Romano Citrini, the previous owner, had had a huge model train set on the upper level, taking up 232sq m (2,500sq ft) – the entire house is 875sq m (9,418sq ft) – so when the current owners bought it, they converted the space into five large en suite bedrooms, four with amazing lake views. This move realised the house's potential as a holiday let, as it now sleeps 22 (and then some). The owner cites the "wraparound wood-burning stove, indoor pizza barbecue, Jacuzzi, sauna, 1km private lakeside walk in the woods, and bocce court [a game like boules]" as just a few elements that add to the guest experience, see ceaparana.ie.
At under two hours from Dublin, it’s a handy escape. “It is perfect for a weekend getaway with family and friends,” says the owner, noting that in 2016 they only had two vacant Saturday nights. The house is “the epitome of the perfect lakeside retreat, with panoramic views from the house, well-presented accommodation, a large lakeside harbour and glorious lakeside lands,” adds Sotheby’s agent David Ashmore.
