It may once have been a long way from Clare to here, but those days are long gone thanks to the runaway success of the Wild Atlantic Way and the establishment over recent years of Lahinch as a destination of choice for both the homegrown and international surfing community.
Quite apart from being the home of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, two globally important natural features, Co Clare has long been acknowledged as an excellent location for multinational employers thanks to the presence of Shannon Airport. The adjoining Shannon Free Zone is home to about 100 companies employing a total of 7,000 people, and some €3 billion is generated in trade each year by companies engaged in internationally traded services from finance and insurance to software and telecoms services, and customer contact centres.
Shannon serves as an important base for a range of major employers, including Zimmer, UCB, GECAS, Element Six, GE Sensing, Intel and Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon. It also bears the distinction of being Ireland’s largest cluster of North American investments. All of which makes it an attractive place to live.
Asked for his take on Clare’s residential property market, Diarmuid McMahon, managing director at local agent Sherry FitzGerald McMahon, says: “Since we returned to full operation at the beginning of June, it has been incredibly busy. We have had strong bidding on many of our properties and we have noticed some interesting trends.
“In addition to strong primary residence sales in towns such as Ennis, the coastal market has been very strong with excellent demand for second homes in seaside locations such as Lahinch and Kilkee. We have broken our guide prices on sales in these locations.”
Asked if people’s experience of working from home during the Covid-19 crisis has had any impact on Clare’s residential property market, McMahon adds: “We have really noticed an increase in enquiries and bidding from people currently working and living in Dublin who have realised that with new work practices they can have the benefit of employment based in Dublin but with all the benefits of living in Co Clare. Ennis is particularly well located with two motorway options and a train to Dublin.
“A new working at home culture has evolved during Covid that is opening new doors to how people live. The availability of broadband is now one of the first questions we are asked. Fortunately, our fibre infrastructure and 4G coverage is very strong in many parts of the county.
“There is a quiet Covid revolution taking place at the moment in how people will work and live, which has the potential to solve so many housing, social, traffic and commuter problems that are plaguing our capital city and ultimately holding our economy back. Covid has shaken the way we live and enabled us to see what was in front of our eyes.”
New home
Arda na Deirge, Killaloe, Co Clare
Local agent Harry Brann Auctioneers are guiding prices from € 375,000 for the latest phase at the Arda na Deirge development in Killaloe. There are four detached houses to choose from, with each one comprising four bedrooms, one of which is en suite, a lounge, kitchen/dining area, family, bathroom, utility and hot press. All the houses are A rated for energy efficiency and will come fully painted with a generous tiling and carpet allowance from the builder. Each property has a fully landscaped front and rear garden, and a tarmac driveway.
The Arda na Deirge scheme is located within walking distance of the wide range of amenities on offer in the much sought-after lakeside town of Killaloe.
Large family home
Kells, Urlanmore, Newmarket on Fergus, Co Clare
Extending to 5,134sq ft (477sq m), this substantial five-bedroom house sits on an elevated two hectare (five acre) site overlooking the river Fergus and the Shannon Estuary. Built to high standard with limestone and solid oak finishes throughout, the property is designed in the manner of a castle and comprises a main entrance hall, wc and cloakroom, great hall, adjoining bar, overhanging balcony, kitchen, dining, utility, family room and five en suite bedrooms. Externally, there is a garage and a plant room with an electricity generator fitted.
The house carries a B3 energy rating and it is heated via underfloor heating fed by a geo thermal system. It also has solar panels and its own water supply. The gardens are populated in the main by Beech trees, while a private 0.4km (0.25 mile) driveway leads from automatic gates to the house. Located just minutes from Shannon Airport and within 20 minutes’ drive of Limerick and Ennis, the property is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan at a guide price of €795,000.
Downsizer
35 Lakeside Jetty, Mountshannon, Co Clare
Murphy Gubbins Chartered Surveyors are seeking €125,000 for this property at the Lakeside Jetty scheme at Mountshannon on the banks of Lough Derg. The subject property has an open-plan layout and comprises two bedrooms, both of which are en suite, along with a kitchen/living/dining room area, utility room, and guest wc. The house comes with the added bonus of a lake view and its own dedicated boat mooring.
Buy-to-let
98 Lios Ard, Tulla Road, Ennis, Co Clare
Sherry FitzGerald McMahon is guiding a price of € 195,000 for this three-bedroom semi-detached home at the Lios Ard estate on the outskirts of Ennis town centre. Extending to 110sq m (1,184sq ft), the property comes for sale in turnkey condition, and comprises an entrance hall, living room, an open-plan kitchen/dining area, utility room and a wc. There are two double bedrooms, one of which has an en suite, a single bedroom and a bathroom.
The house is well-located on the Tulla Road and is situated within a short distance of Ennis town centre and a short drive from the M18 motorway.
Holiday home
Barrta Lodge, Barrtra, Lahinch, Co Clare
Developed in the early 2000s, this property occupies an excellent position on the Clare coastline just 5km outside Lahinch village. Extending to a substantial 234sq m (2,519sq ft), the house comprises five bedrooms and six bathrooms, making it ideal for use as a holiday home by an owner occupier or a holiday letting. The property also comprises a reception room, sun lounge, kitchen/dining room, wet room and utility room, and store room.
Internal finishes include a feature vaulted ceiling in the sitting room with antique pine cross beams. The house is located on an elevated landscaped site offering impressive sea views, and is surrounded by extensive decking and a Liscannor stone patio. It is available for sale through Costelloe Estate Agents at a guide price of €485,000.
