Lockdown led many to dreams of leaving: to escapist fantasies of that perfect house in the countryside, where your 2km, 5km or whatever radius takes in glorious sea views, a walk to the village, and a haven to call home. Step up Colla Point House. Right on the waterfront, just outside one of west Cork's finest villages, Schull, Colla Point has served as a holiday home for the current owners since the early 1990s.
Looking over Long Island Sound and Cape Clear, and with direct access to the coastline, this charming four-bed bungalow must have one of the best views in Ireland. “We have done very little with it,” says the owner, in a way that implies: why would you improve on perfection? “The man who built it chose the best aspect, it’s protected from the westerlys, and we didn’t change it because it works.”
In fact, the family did modernise, and added a bedroom extension, bringing the floor area to 142sq m (1,500sq ft). “We would come for the whole summer, and our kids would bring their friends. It’s very practical for groups, and it’s all tiled floors for when people come in with wet feet from the water.” It is likely a new owner will want to put their own stamp on things, but could comfortably live there before deciding on changes to make.
The family have so loved the house, they came whenever the moment allowed. “It has different moods for different times of the year,” the owner says. “Christmas is games, fires and hot chocolate, but summer is the gem. There’s such freedom here.”
She describes cooking huge breakfasts, and then seeing the children off, watching them fling themselves into the sea, or go exploring, returning when they were hungry for the next meal. “It’s a very safe haven, with a big outdoor playground. It’s like a big outdoor classroom for children. They learn so much; about the seabirds and wildlife. In autumn they picked the blackberries, and learned how to make blackberry jam. That’s what they’ll remember of their time here, that and the freedom.”
For her own part, the owner has also loved the peace and quiet of the place. “I’ll sit with the newspaper or a book. And you can see the weather coming in – you know when it’s time to come into the house.” And that’s no hardship, as the bright sitting/dining room has gorgeous views, and a cosy open fire. The walks from here are also wonderful, a loop taking you to the village and back.
At €1.35 million with selling agent Maeve McCarthy of Charles McCarthy Auctioneers the price is accounted for by the amazing location. The only encouragement the future owners need, according to the owner, “is to come and stand in the garden. Just look east and west. And listen. When you’re here, the only sounds you hear are the water and the wind, and the birds. That’s one of the great pleasures. You can sink into the quiet.”
