Homes with a View in Co. Cork: Harbours, Bays and Headlands

Two households, one Cobh manor and a harbour below

Built around 1830 and extended in the 1880s, the Manor House is currently arranged so that it can work as two separate homes. That makes it unusually adaptable. It could suit one family with relatives close at hand, or a household that keeps one side for guests. The period character runs deep: sash windows, original fireplaces, an oriel window and a bay-windowed living room more than nine metres long. Outside, the lawn gives onto a wide view across the water to islands, distant shores and passing ships, a reminder of Cobh's long maritime story. Former stables and about two acres to the rear leave room for further plans, subject to planning.

Worth checking: The house is presented as one to restore and reimagine, so the scope and cost of works should be part of any plan from the outset.

A stone farmhouse facing the Mizen from almost every room

Parts of this stone farmhouse date back to the nineteenth century. It sits high above Kilcrohane on the Sheep's Head, looking out over the water towards the Mizen Peninsula. What stands out is how fully the sea runs through a modest house. The kitchen/dining room, living room, sunroom and both upstairs bedrooms all have sea views, and so does the upstairs cloakroom. Slate floors, exposed beams and stone walls keep the house rooted in its farming past. The sunroom's patio doors open onto a level garden, which is useful on an elevated site. A stone outbuilding and the village, about a mile away, complete a quiet, self-contained picture.

Made for using Cork Harbour, not just watching it

Most harbour houses are arranged to look at the water. One Harbours Edge is designed to get you out on it. The listing includes a private mooring and a carport large enough to keep a boat or jet ski through the winter. Lower Aghada's tennis and sailing club anchors a community built around the water. Inside, some 15 metres of frameless glazing open the main living spaces to Cork Harbour, with a terrace of more than 60 square metres beyond. Even the spa has a wide outlook, where cruise liners heading for Cobh and the cathedral spire come into view. It is an unusually complete idea of waterside living, carried through with real conviction.

Worth checking: The mooring is central to this home's appeal, so confirm the rights, licensing and permissions attached to it.

Spike Island, Cobh and Curraghbinny on two levels

From Crosshaven, Cork's inner harbour is crowded with landmarks, and Seabrook is arranged to take them in. Beyond greenery and a few neighbouring rooftops lie Spike Island, Cobh with its cathedral, and the headland at Curraghbinny. The open-plan kitchen, dining and living room sits on the entrance level. A wall-to-wall sliding door there opens onto a glass-balustraded balcony. Downstairs, a second living room leads out to a patio facing the same water. The view therefore works in two moods: sociable above, quieter below. Behind the house, natural stone walls enclose a planted garden with a pergola, a sheltered counterpoint to the open harbour in front.

Glanlough Lake in front, Bantry Bay beyond

Fresh water and salt water share the outlook here. From Glaneagle, on the Sheep's Head between Durrus and Ahakista, the view takes in nearby Glanlough Lake as well as Bantry Bay, with green fields and hills in between. The house has been renovated from top to bottom, so the setting can be enjoyed without a building project getting in the way. Life centres on an open-plan kitchen, living and dining room with a new wood-burning stove, which suits winter evenings watching the weather come across the water. Almost an acre of fenced, landscaped ground gives the house breathing space. Durrus and Ahakista are both close enough for everyday errands.

Across Dunmanus Bay to the mountains of Kerry

Durod sits on the Mizen side of Dunmanus Bay. From here the view runs across the water towards Ahakista and the Sheep's Head, with Castletownbere and the Kerry Mountains layered further back. The house has been completely renovated with a contemporary eye, and a glass-railed balcony keeps the bay and the green hills around it in clear sight. The appeal lies in the contrast: a finished, modern interior set against a raw stretch of Atlantic coast. A walled entrance gives a real sense of arrival. The newly planted gardens will soften and fill out over the first few seasons, gradually tying the house more closely to its surroundings.

An East Hill lookout within walking distance of the train

Cobh has always been about the closeness of town and water, and this mid-terrace house on East Hill makes the most of both. Its front-facing rooms look out across Cork Harbour. A private deck at the front gives you somewhere to sit and follow the ships coming and going below. The layout is traditional, with a kitchen/dining room and a separate living room downstairs. The house is presented in good condition, leaving room to personalise it over time. What sets it apart is how practical it is. The town centre and railway station are both within walking distance, so the harbour view does not depend on a car, though the walk home is uphill.

A Scilly restoration with its feet in Kinsale Harbour

On the Scilly edge of Kinsale's Inner Harbour, this historic seafront house looks across the marina, with James Fort and Charles Fort both in view. It needs substantial renovation, and that is what makes it interesting, because the makings of something unusual are already in place. Two stacked timber sunrooms face the water. The upper one has a balcony and a cast-iron spiral stair down to the garden, while the lower one opens onto a flagstone patio. Beyond lies an over-water deck with derricks for launching a punt. A separate stone garage with a loft across the road adds options, and the Spaniard is a moment's stroll away.

Worth checking: The over-water deck currently needs repair, so using it for boats or launching depends on that work being done first.