€375k Sheep's Head close-to-coast home was once an ecumenical matter

WHAT’S in a name? In the case of Ardanairy, the winsome Durrus bungalow, it’s a clue to the family’s roots.The former lady of the house hailed from Wicklow and Ardanairy is a townland in the Garden County.That lady was the wife of the late Reverend R John McCoy, who was a rector at the nearby St James Church, serving a healthy Church Of Ireland community. The reverend’s work commute was a dream, the family home and place of worship being minutes apart.Ardanairy, Sheep's Head, DurrusArdanairy, a 140 sq m bungalow built in the late 1960s, gained two additions over the years: A ‘wraparound’ dining room and a small sunroom off the kitchen to the rear. Wraparound dining roomSunroomThe wraparound is a standout feature and has 15 windows, including a curved run of eight panes, giving garden-spanning views. “It’s gorgeous,” says estate agent Denis Harrington, of Harrington Estates. “What it really does is create a unique way to enjoy a wonderful garden, while guaranteeing an abundance of light.“You don’t need any central heating in that room,” the agent adds.The rear extension — more sun-porch than full-blown sunroom — is a light-filled add-on that serves the kitchen/dining room and acts as conduit to the utility room. There’s a large sitting room, too, with double doors to the charming garden, and three bedrooms in the main house, with a fourth in an annex to the rear (with a shower attached) which has “performed in the role of a fourth bedroom” over the years, Mr Harrington says.Living room with double doors to the gardenDated, but with undeniable appeal, Ardanairy is in a leafy laneway in Clashadoo, shared with less than 10 other homes, all of which have historically rich gardens.“It’s the most delightful little laneway, at the riverside junction, behind St James, on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula. Any house that comes along in this little pocket of Durrus, just off the coast road, immediately piques buyer interest,” Mr Harrington says.The garden at Ardanairy is blessed with a south-facing aspect, glorious planting and a divinely inspired, raised lily pond set into the patio.It’s a delightful 0.6 acres that could hold its own in any part of the Garden County. Beyond the patio, the lawn rolls down towards the road, shrouded on all sides by mature growth, which limit views of the shore.Nonetheless, you can be by the shore in no time or into Durrus village in five minutes, at the start of the Sheep’s Head peninsula, or head west to Aghakista, which is about a five-minute spin. Cork City is about an hour and a half away by car.Mr Harrington, who has an offer on the asking price of €375,000, describes the house as “a gem” and points out that the annex is ideal for independent living, guest accommodation, or as a home office.Structurally, the house is sound, and “all the components are there to make it a very good home”.As the house is single storey, it will appeal to downsizers, but also buyers looking for a holiday home, given the special location. US interest is possible, too, as an escape from the political mayhem VERDICT: Ardanairy is no ordinary home and the garden is Heaven-sent. Location on the Sheep’s Head peninsula speaks for itself.

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