It has been a busy week for the west of Ireland town of Newport, Co Mayo. A local effort by Newport Business Association secured funding for two statues to mark two notable Graces with links to the riverside town.
Plans to celebrate the two major figures – namely pirate queen Grace O’Malley and Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco – saw the latter’s son, Prince Albert of Monaco, unveil the statue dedicated to his late mother in her ancestral home on the eve of St Patrick’s Day.
Not far from Grace Kelly’s ancestral home, on the road to Castlebar, is Waterfalls, a substantial house constructed in 2008 by its builder-owner. When he first purchased the site he engaged in a pre-planning meeting with Mayo County Council, which initially advised that they would ideally like a cottage on the site.
After this meeting he engaged architect Aoife Hughes, who designed the family’s dream home overlooking Newport river, where the view of a waterfall takes centre stage looking out from rooms to the front of the property.
With dual front and rear entrances, the property is bathed in light thanks to its southerly aspect and use of lots of glazing.
It’s an impressive house with a significant 351sq m (3,778sq ft) of space set over two floors on an elevated site. Constructed of rendered concrete block with part pointed stone, it has an excellent Ber of B2 despite it being 15 years old. “I used the best insulation possible and went well above the standards at the time,” says the owner. He also points out that he decided against solar back then as it wasn’t as economical as it is now, and says the location is just perfect should new owners wish to install solar to achieve a higher energy rating.
Its two large and well-proportioned reception rooms have wonderful views of the river and gardens. The property lies on a site of about 1.25 acres of mature grounds, including some tropical plantings from a since-demolished house on the site. As it is tucked into the bank and bordered by evergreen trees, its all-important south facing aspect means it’s well-protected from storms.
It has five bedrooms, one of which is used as an office, while two have access to balconies.
High-end fittings throughout the house include solid mahogany doors, jacuzzi bath and polished granite flooring.
The new road to Westport – opening in coming weeks – will shorten the drive time between the towns to about 15 minutes. This in turn will link to the Castlebar bypass and to the N4/M4 to Dublin. There is also an excellent train service from Westport, where it is more cost-effective – and a calmer experience – than driving to the capital.
Both sea and fly fishing are excellent local amenities, while Newport itself is the centre of the western greenway.
With an empty nest, the owner is downsizing locally and has placed his substantial home on the market through Tuohy O’Toole, seeking €895,000.
