At 2.20am on April 15th annually, bells are rung in the small village of Lahardane in Addergoole, Co Mayo, with many of the bell-ringers being direct descendants of a group known as the Addergoole 14.
This marks the sad occasion when 11 of the 14 passengers from the village perished on the Titanic, on that fateful night when the “practically unsinkable boat”, according to its makers, sunk to a depth of 12,500ft, taking the lives of more than 1,500 passengers and crew.
Known as Ireland’s Titanic village, due to its loss – now remembered at the Addergoole Titanic Memorial Park – Lahardane is also one of the prettiest villages in all of Co Mayo.
Situated about a five-minute drive from the village is this two-bedroom converted cottage, which lies at the foot of Nephin mountain, the second highest peak in Connacht.
Purchased three years ago, the owners say they undertook lots of work to bring it up to date and to what it is now a C2-rated two-bedroom stone cottage, originally dating from 1922. “We never thought we’d leave the place, and this was to be our forever home,” say the owners, adding, “but circumstances have changed and we are off to New Zealand to be closer to our family”.
[ Renovated four-bed with sea views on Dún Laoghaire’s Crofton Terrace for €1.295mOpens in new window ]
Lying on approximately an acre, the 104sq m (1,119sq ft) house has two bedrooms, the principal of which has a dressingroom and en suite. It also has views and access to the garden via a set of patio doors.
An open-plan living and dining area has two sets of patio doors adjacent to a good-sized kitchen. Besides flooding rooms with light, they also give remarkable bucolic views of surrounding lands.
There is also what the brochure calls an annexe, which is essentially a 20sq m converted outbuilding that the owners had intended to lease as an Airbnb rental. Like the house itself, this one-bedroom unit is in turnkey condition, and could bring in rental income for new owners.
In terms of access, the property is about a 20-minute drive to Ballina, where you can take the train to Dublin; a 35-minute drive from Castlebar – the capital of Mayo; and about 45 minutes to Knock airport, which for summer 2025, has increased its service to 17 holiday routes.
The owners love the views, the peace and quiet and their local little village, where Leonard’s, the traditional old pub and grocery has been serving pints since 1897.
This quaint cottage appeared on the market last summer seeking €215,000 and went sale agreed at €285,000. This sale fell through and is now on the market again, this time seeking €275,000 through DNG Michael Boland.
