Before cheap flights enabled us to see the world, a passion for great exhibitions brought the world to us. In 1902, Cork’s version, the International Exhibition, had Venetian gondoliers on the Lee, a skating rink and exhibition halls, and it saw the launch of the Cork delicacy Hadji Bey’s Turkish Delight. Perhaps less excitingly, there was also a temperance restaurant, though sober fun could be followed up by a visit to the shooting gallery and aquarium. King Edward VII brought Queen Alexandra along to witness the craic.
The exhibition also included a number of specially erected timber buildings. After the festivities were finished, they were dismantled, auctioned off and rebuilt in various locations. One found its way to Currabinny, and another travelled to the Cork coastal village of Myrtleville. It is now a truly delightful beach house on an ideal corner site, where the headland sweeps around a curve to give panoramic views of the sea in all its moods. You're also less than half an hour from the city – although, as the owner says the broadband is good, there's a village shop within walking distance, and you're perched just above the delicious Bunnyconnellan restaurant, you may find such trips are seldom.
A previous American owner gave the house a Hamptons-style makeover, so the 160sq m (1,722sq ft) of space is all light and bright, with soft-hued wooden panelling and timber floors. “I had always adored the house,” the owner says. She had visited it previously, and thought it “the most beautiful house in the world.” So when it came on the market in 2018, it was a no-brainer to buy. Still, we all know how much the world, and plans, have changed since then, and the owners are now regretfully moving on. It is for sale through Lisney with an asking price of €850,000.
That makes the three-bedroom space a wonderful opportunity for someone new. “You come in,” says the owner, “and you think it’s a little cottage, but then you’ve got these views. The terrace and conservatory are magic. You feel like you’re in Spain when the sun is shining, with the white walls and the blue sea. You can see dolphins jumping out of the water. It’s unbelievable.” It’s also triple glazed, so you can watch the waters peacefully, even in the wildest storms. The Ber is C3.
Myrtleville had been a holiday spot, but the owner notes more and more people catching on to the joys of living somewhere wonderful, year round. Atlantic House is on a generous third-of-an-acre site, and has a garage opening off the conservatory that could easily be converted, as there’s also a separate detached double garage adjacent. You also get a large utility, and a beautiful dual-aspect living room that opens to a very spacious kitchen/dining room, soaking up the sea views. The main bedroom also has sea views from windows on two sides. Dream on.
