A labour of love along the Wild Atlantic Way
ONE OF the gorgeous days we had last week saw me in northwest Mayo looking out at the broad Atlantic and visiting a number of properties on the books of Karl Fox of Fox and Gallagher, Ballina.
The first property we visited was a 101ac residential farm at Dooleeg More about 10 minutes drive from Crossmolina.
The wild scenery of the far west looked magnificent in the blue haze of the first really hot summer day of 2018.
Driving in the direction of Belmullet we shared the road with farmers, van men and the odd tourist who was fortunate enough to be seeing the west at its best.
The farm at Dooleeg More is on an elevated stretch of ground looking up at the mighty Nephin Mountain in the medium distance and overlooking a surrounding plain that includes forestry, grassland and bog.
The owners moved back to the farm from the UK to look after family members and did a wonderful job renovating and extending the traditional farmhouse.
The residence is now a five-bedroom, single-storey dwelling with an array of lovely living spaces.
The workmanship in the renovation is second to none and typified by the quality of insulation, which resulted in the house achieving an amazing C3 BER rating.
Oaken doors are finished with oaken architraves that fit like a glove while the kitchen/ dining area is fully fitted with units in ash on a marble floor and heated by a solid fuel stove with a back boiler.
The utility contains all the equipment one would expect and also doubles as a kitchenette.
Three of the five bedrooms have ensuite facilities while the living spaces include a new sitting room, the original sitting room and a south-facing sunroom with views across the land to Nephin.
Other spaces include a spacious and elegant reception hall, a guest WC, a walk-in closet, a shower room adjacent to two bedrooms, a full family bathroom and an office located at the centre of the house known as ‘the bunker’.
The dwelling is in pristine condition and immaculately kept with PVC double glazed windows throughout. Anyone purchasing this house will have nothing to do except turn on the lights.
The yard is as neat and tidy a farmyard as you are likely to see.
Outbuildings
The outbuildings are traditional but very useful and include a haybarn with lean-to, an A-roofed shed along with a cow barn and a turf shed, all set on a concrete apron with cattle handling facilities.
Like the house, the yard is immaculately kept and clean as a new pen.
The land is located all around the house and inter- sected by the Crossmolina to Belmullet road. It extends to 101ac and includes a small lake.
The portion immediately around homestead extending to 43.54ac is made up of good elevated grazing ground some of which is closed off for silage. To the rear of this is a parcel of 43.59ac of forestry planted 22 years ago and ready for thinning.
Across the road is 13.87ac of newly planted forestry.
The property has been very well cared for, is in a wild but wonderful setting and is for sale by private treaty with a guide price of €550,000.