Extended Historic Cottage For Sale in Co. Mayo

Prepare to be entranced! Nothing short of magical, feel the cares of the world slip from your shoulders as you settle back and enjoy the ever-changing vista of Knockmore out to the West. It’s captivating. Of a balmy summer evening it’s a pleasure to cycle up to the nearby cove – about 5 minutes away – for an evening swim or boat trip. There is an abundance of wildlife to enjoy, hares, warblers, wrens and swallows are frequent visitors. In the Summer the Milky Way is visible on clear nights, and in Winter the Northern Lights. Bathe in the silence and zero pollution.

Location
The property lies about 2.5 km ( 6 min drive) distant from Clare Island Pier, and was purchased by the present owners in 2012, who then set about a substantial and well thought out sustainable renovation and extension of superior design and execution.

Details of The Cottage Extension and Restoration (Planning Permission Ref; 14/474)
Using traditional craftsmanship, the restoration included drainage installation using volcanic chips (lecce pebbles) as insulation which were put in layers of myplex. The Brazilian slate flooring was laid in lime mortar, and all cement was removed from the old cottage and replaced with lime mortar. In the old cottage all walls were coated with a thick hemp and lime mix, and finished off with a lime silka mix.

During the renovations the owners removed the plasterboard and found a wall that was thought to be the original wall. They contracted the Chief Conservator of the Medieval Abbey on Clare Island, Christoph Oldenbourg to preserve the wall. He estimated that the paint and plaster he preserved was from early 1900.

The extension was made from poroton self insulating blocks and then externally rendered in lime mortar in sympathy with the old cottage. Front windows are single glazed hand made from reclaimed pitch pine, with shuttering. All other windows are double glazed.

The restored Danish Log Burner was kept to support additional heating, as needed. The roof was replaced with natural slate, and insulated fully. A French drain was created surrounding the cottage below the water table. This has a dramatic effect on the atmosphere in the cottage. No more damp or salt deposits as the cottage dried out naturally over two years.

This is a cleverly designed and beautifully executed sustainable renovation, sure to create significant interest on the open market.

The Accommodation (93 sqm)
The floors throughout the entire property (excluding bathrooms) are Brazilian slate, chosen to maximise heat retention so they heat up during the sunshine and slowly release heat. The owners recycled the hardwood boxes the slates arrived in as bathroom and utility room cabinets. All ceilings are clad in sustainable pine wood.

The property was totally rewired with a new system in 2015, with fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms linked to electric in all rooms. There are wall switches for side lamps in all rooms.

The Kitchen is from DeVol Kitchens in the UK. It’s a Sebastian Cox kitchen. He picks his own trees out so he can control the quality of the wood. It’s a beautiful kitchen to cook in and is totally sustainable.

The lintel over the fireplace is made from a sequoia tree felled in the midlands of Ireland and the sills are all reclaimed from an 18th century house in Donegal.

The Air to Water system is Nordic in origin and was chosen for practical and ecological reasons. The system has radiators in the original cottage and an air conditioning unit in the new section. The system is remotely controlled via an App in three separate sections.

Externally
Two hundred trees were planted in 2015 consisting of mainly of Alder and Beech from cuttings of a nearby wood to give privacy and some shelter on the west side of the property. This area has been fenced in to protect them and also has some red and black currant bushes. This section attracts birds and insects.

Features of Note on Clare Island
Clare Island, reputed to be the largest of the 365 islands in Clew Bay, is the ancestral home of the legendary Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley and her Clan. The remains of her Medieval Castle stand proud and commanding by the main Clare Island pier and access to the Island. Through the Middle Ages, Clare Island was part of the lands of the O’Malley family. Rich in culture, archaeology and heritage, this mountainous island of dramatic Atlantic cliffs, and superb seascapes and beaches, offers a wealth of water and mountain based activities such as angling, boating, swimming, sailing and mountain climbing.

Clare Island is deeply historic, from an ancient bog-bound forest to a 5,500-year-old megalithic court tomb, a bronze-age promontory fort, 19th Century Napoleonic Signal Tower, and numerous 3,000 year old cooking pits (or fulacht fiadh in Irish).

The walls of the 14th century Cistercian Abbey, on the South side of the Island feature remarkable medieval wall painting displaying a horseman, a hound, a fox, a snake, a crucifix, leaves, a dragon and archers . The Abbey was founded by the O’Malleys and contains the O’Malley Tomb, a possible burial site of Grainne O’Malley.

There are a number of restaurants and bars on the Island, well known for good food, traditional music and recitations.

A Pilot health care Remote Patient monitoring programme has recently been activated on the Island, using new technologies and enhanced communication techniques to improve patient care, including video conferencing services to assist patients living in remote areas.

Access to the Island (approx. 5 km off shore) is via Ferry from Roonagh Pier, approx. half hr drive from Westport. The service is year round, and takes approx. 10 minutes.

BER Details
BER: D1
BER No: 104728357
Energy Performance Indicator: 227.0 kWh/m2/yr

Auctioneer PSP Licence No: 002657