FISHING HEAVEN IN MAYO
NEWTOWN Cloghans, Ballina, Co Mayo €345,000
FOR fisherfolk, the River Moy offers a little bite of heaven. Some of the finest salmon fishing in the country is to be found in its waters. Roughly 100km long, the Moy rises in the Ox Mountains in Co Sligo and flows through Foxford on to Ballina town and out into Killala Bay. Along the way it picks up pace from many small tributaries, taps into Loughs Conn and Cullin and boasts a catchment area of more than 2,000 sq km.
One of the most famous beats on the river is the Ridge Pool in Ballina town, where former soccer coach Jack Charlton has caught many a spring salmon. It has lured anglers from all over the world to holiday in the area.
Less than 10km from Ballina, and half a kilometre from the eastern shores of Lough Conn, is the perfect fishing retreat. Newtown is a four-bedroom two-storey house built in 2005 and has come to the market for the first time at an asking price of €345,000.
Owners Jason and his wife Cliodhna Boyce were living in Ballina town when they found and bought the site in 2004. They drew on the skills in their immediate family, an architect brotherin-law and Jason’s father, a builder, to design and build the immaculately maintained family home, and it has had no expense spared on finishes.
The exterior is partially stone-clad with a roomy porch that could accommodate any number of waders and rods.
Inside there is a stone-clad chimney breast in the living room that houses a solid fuel Stanley stove with back boiler and solid timber floors. Steps lead up to a spacious kitchen/dining room with fitted units that include a built-in larder, integrated dishwasher and fridge, and feature hard-wearing granite worktops.
Off the kitchen is a sunroom that opens onto a paved patio. There is a second patio area positioned further down the garden to take maximum advantage of the sun.
There is also a sitting room and a utility room plumbed for laundry that has access to the garden. A ground-floor bedroom currently serves as a playroom, and there is a shower room handy for sports folk, hikers or anglers coming indoors after a long day’s play.
On the first floor there are three double bedrooms. The master has views out to the Nephin Beg mountain range on the other side of Lough Conn, and a walk-in wardrobe large enough to satisfy the most dedicated shopper. A second bedroom also features a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite wetroom.
Newtown stands in large well-maintained gardens that run to 0.83 acres and are set out in lawns with mature shrubs and flower beds.
For families with school-going children, there is a national school within a kilometre’s walk. St Mary’s secondary school, where Cliodhna teaches, is 10km away and is on the local bus route. A new secondary school is currently being built at the school.
There is plenty to do for those who enjoy the outdoors. Lough Conn is home to some fine trout fishing, while hikers have access to the Bangor Walking Trail, a 24km hike from Letterkeen through the very real wilderness of Ballycroy National Park. There are sandy beaches nearby at Ross Strand or Louisburgh, while surfers will find big waves at Keem beach on Achill, or an hour’s drive away at Enniscrone or Easky, both in Co Sligo.
The village of Knockmore is the family’s go-to for a pint of milk, but Ballina, Co Mayo’s largest town, is 10km away and offers the full range of shops, pubs and restaurants from relaxed to more formal spots, such as Dillons or the Belleek Castle Hotel.
Castlebar, a little further away, has foodie haunts such as Rua, Bar One or House of Plates.
Jason and Cliodhna have come full circle. Both they and their girls are growing older and the family is ready to move back into town again.
They will miss the location, says Jason. “You’re in the country, which is great for bringing up kids, but you’re not far from the town. The house itself is mostly open-plan downstairs — it’s easy with the kids, you can see where they are.”