
Barryroe, Tragumna, Skibbereen, CorkP81XN95
€525,000
3 Bed~1 Bath~BER E2
What you'll like:
- Stunning coastal panoramas: The property enjoys spectacular south-facing views over the coastline and countryside towards Toe Head Tower, offering a picturesque and highly desirable coastal lifestyle setting.
- Walking distance to beaches: Situated within easy walking distance of both Tragumna Beach and Tralagough Beach, residents can effortlessly enjoy swimming, coastal walks, and seaside leisure activities.
- Spacious detached guest house: Featuring a substantial detached guest house of approximately 1,200 square feet with two bedrooms, it provides fantastic independent accommodation for extended family, visitors, or potential rental income.
- Generous private acreage: Set on approximately 1.5 acres of grounds laid out mainly in lawn, the property offers ample outdoor space for children, pets, gardening, and peaceful countryside enjoyment.
- Recent interior upgrades: The main cottage interior has been recently updated with brand new kitchen facilities, contemporary bathrooms, and fresh flooring, significantly reducing immediate post-purchase renovation needs.
- Charming traditional character: Retaining a traditional two-storey extended cottage aesthetic, the home blends classic rural Irish architectural appeal with modern everyday living conveniences.
- Bright open plan living: The ground floor features a spacious open plan kitchen and dining area seamlessly connected to a sunroom, maximizing natural daylight and family interaction.
- Convenient utility provision: A dedicated utility room and ground floor WC add practical everyday convenience for managing laundry and sandy gear returning from the nearby beaches.
- Dedicated outdoor terrace: A lovely front terrace provides a sheltered sunny spot to sit outside, relax, and take in the magnificent coastal views across the surrounding landscape.
- Useful detached shed: A standalone storage shed on the grounds offers valuable secure space for housing garden machinery, watersports equipment, bicycles, and general outdoor gear.
- Private laneway approach: Approached via a private laneway, the property benefits from enhanced seclusion, reduced passing traffic noise, and a greater sense of rural tranquility.
- Close to market town: Located just approximately 8 kilometers from Skibbereen, future occupants have very convenient access to major supermarkets, schools, healthcare facilities, and vibrant local markets.
- Proximity to Castletownshend: The historic and picturesque sailing village of Castletownshend is only about 9 kilometers away, offering fantastic marine leisure opportunities and local dining.
- Strong yachting region: Southwest Ireland is renowned for its outstanding unspoilt beauty and exceptional sailing waters, making this location a haven for boating and yachting enthusiasts.
- Accessible international airport: Cork International Airport is reachable within approximately a 75-minute drive, ensuring convenient connectivity for international travel and frequent flyers.
- Freehold title tenure: The property is offered with a freehold title, providing straightforward legal ownership without the complexities or ongoing ground rent liabilities of leasehold arrangements.
- Generous overall footprint: Combined, the main cottage (c. 1,240 sq ft) and guest house (c. 1,200 sq ft) offer over 2,400 square feet of total versatile building accommodation.
- Flexible living arrangements: The separate guest house creates viable options for home-working spaces, creative studios, multi-generational living, or hosting holiday guests with complete privacy.
- Established outdoor boundaries: The sprawling 1.5-acre site provides clearly defined lawn boundaries that are relatively easy to maintain while ensuring great privacy from neighboring agricultural lands.
- Pleasant rural community: Situated in a scenic coastal pocket of West Cork, buyers will join a welcoming community known for its appreciation of nature, arts, and outdoor living.
But keep in mind:
- Poor energy rating: The property currently holds a weak BER rating of E2 with a high energy performance indicator, meaning buyers should budget significantly for insulation and heating upgrades.
- Private well water reliance: Water is supplied via a private well, requiring buyers to independently commission thorough laboratory testing for water quality, potability, and reliable year-round flow rates.
- On-site septic tank: Sewage disposal relies on a private septic tank system, necessitating a professional inspection to verify environmental compliance, structural integrity, and registration status.
- Oil-fired heating costs: Heating is provided by an oil-fired system, which can expose occupants to volatile fossil fuel pricing and ongoing maintenance costs for the boiler infrastructure.
- Guest house planning verification: Buyers must verify that the detached guest house holds full and proper planning permission and building regulation compliance for residential living use.
- High EPI energy consumption: An energy performance indicator of 372.22 kWh/m2/yr highlights substantial heat loss and high potential utility bills until comprehensive retrofitting is carried out.
- Laneway maintenance responsibilities: Access via a private laneway means buyers should clarify their legal right of way and shared financial responsibilities for ongoing surface maintenance and pothole repairs.
- Coastal weather exposure: A prominent south-facing coastal aspect exposes the buildings to driving sea winds, salt spray, and heavy winter storms, requiring diligent exterior maintenance and painting.
- Single bathroom in cottage: The main three-bedroom cottage features only one bathroom, which could create morning bottlenecks for a family and may prompt future plans for a second facility.
- Older cottage fabric origins: As a traditional extended cottage, hidden structural issues such as damp penetration, lack of cavity insulation, or historic timber decay should be thoroughly investigated by a surveyor.
- Septic tank percolation area: The buyer should ensure the existing percolation area complies with current environmental protection standards to prevent future drainage failures or local pollution risks.
- Remote winter environment: While idyllic in summer, the rural coastal location can feel quite isolated during harsh winter months, requiring reliance on private vehicular transport for all daily errands.
- Limited public transport: The property is heavily car-dependent due to its rural setting, with minimal access to local public transport networks for commuting or traveling further afield.
- Potential retrofit disruption: Bringing an E2-rated traditional home up to modern comfort standards will likely cause significant disruption and require a substantial capital investment post-acquisition.
- Boundary fence verification: The exact legal boundaries across the 1.5-acre plot should be carefully checked against Ordnance Survey maps by the legal representative to prevent future disputes.
- Well pump reliability: Private well setups rely on mechanical pumps and filtration equipment that can fail unexpectedly, necessitating emergency repair budgets and routine water maintenance.
- Guest house utility metering: Buyers should check whether the detached guest house shares utility connections with the main cottage or operates on separate meters, impacting potential rental setups.
- Surface water drainage: Given the sloping coastal topography and large lawn areas, buyers must check that surface water drains effectively away from the building foundations during heavy rain.
- Local market price sustainability: At an asking price of €525,000, buyers should conduct a careful comparative market analysis of recent hyper-local sales in Tragumna to ensure sound long-term value.
- Conservation and zoning restrictions: Being in an area of outstanding natural beauty, buyers should check if local planning restrictions limit future structural alterations or commercial letting of the guest house.
Price positioning
?
- The asking price appears somewhat overvalued because it exceeds recent localized coastal transaction benchmarks in the immediate area by a notable margin, despite offering a substantial combined total floor area across two separate dwellings.
- Valuation signals show positive momentum from the extensive modern interior renovations and a large 1.5-acre site, though these may be partially offset by the poor energy efficiency rating requiring future capital expenditure.
- Such a price level could be supported by strong lifestyle and holiday home demand in this scenic coastal region, but it might be undermined by higher borrowing costs and localized market resistance against secondary dwelling setups.
- Relevant factors include the premium value placed on panoramic sea views and walking distance to popular local beaches, which heavily influence coastal property pricing dynamics independently of standard rural square footage metrics.
Build Analysis
What we know from similar construction types
- The property consists of a traditional two-storey extended cottage combined with a separate detached guest house, providing substantial combined accommodation of around 2,440 sq ft total.
- The building relies on private services including a well for water and a septic tank for sewage disposal, which a buyer should inspect for current condition, capacity, and regulatory compliance.
- Given that the main cottage is a traditional extended structure, a structural survey should investigate the transition points between the original build and the extension for potential dampness, thermal bridging, or structural movement.
- The presence of a detached guest house of approximately 1,200 sq ft should be thoroughly checked regarding its original planning permission, building regulations compliance, and any restrictions on its use as independent living quarters or rental accommodation.
Retrofit Cost*
Possible renovating / insulating expenditure
- Estimated deep-retrofit cost range: €60,000 to €90,000.
- Reasoning: The property has a weak BER rating of E2 and a high energy performance indicator (EPI) of 372.22 kWh/m2/yr across a combined footprint including the main cottage and large guest house. Bringing the buildings to a modern energy standard will likely require extensive external wall insulation, upgraded double or triple-glazed windows and doors, roof insulation, and the replacement of the current oil-fired heating system with a renewable alternative such as a heat pump.
Heating cost*
Estimated expense to heat this property every year
- Estimated annual heating cost: €2,500 to €3,500.
- Explanation: Given the poor E2 BER rating, older structure style combined with the total combined floor area of the main cottage and the detached guest house, oil-fired central heating will likely require significant energy consumption to maintain comfortable temperatures during colder months. Buyers should investigate energy upgrade options to improve efficiency.
Pollution Safe
9/10Environmental situation to investigate
Flood Safe
8/10Water overflow reports to follow up
- The elevated south-facing coastal position generally reduces the likelihood of direct river or surface water flooding, though specific low-lying coastal approaches should be checked.
- Prospective buyers are advised to consult local flood maps and environmental reports to confirm the exact flood risk profile for the site.
Recent Local Sales
Verified residential transactions published in the previous five years
Sales on the same street or estate
BAWNLAHAN, TRAGUMNA, SKIBBEREEN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €440,000.00
THE STRAND, TRAGUMNA, SKIBBEREEN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €475,000.00
9 HAVENS END, TRAGUMNA, SKIBBEREEN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €360,000.00
5 HAVENSEND, TRAGUMNA, SKIBBEREEN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €305,000.00
Recent sales in the wider Skibbereen area
39 ST FACHTNAS TERRACE, SKIBBEREEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €215,000.00
20 ARD CARRAIG, SKIBBEREEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €300,000.00
42 THE MOORINGS, GLENCURRAGH, SKIBBEREEN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €335,000.00
57 MARDYKE STREET, SKIBBEREEN, CO CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €195,000.00
CORONEA, SKIBBEREEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €360,000.00
Source: Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), Residential Property Price Register (PPR). Matching uses address information published by the PPR rather than measured map distance. It may omit nearby properties on differently named streets.
Last Sale
A confidently matched previous PPR transaction for this property
No confidently matched previous sale was found in the Property Price Register.
Buyer fees*
Associated expenses guide
- Stamp duty: €52,500 (calculated at 10% for the portion of the residential property value exceeding €1,000,000, or €52,500 based on standard 1% up to €1m and 2% above for residential properties - buyer should verify exact tier application for commercial/residential mix if applicable, but standard residential tier of 1% on first €1m equals €5,250).
- Solicitor legal fees: approximately €1,500 to €3,000 plus outlay and VAT.
- Land registration fees: approximately €600 to €800 depending on the property value and registration type.
- Property valuation fees: approximately €150 to €300.
- Surveyor fees: approximately €500 to €1,200 depending on the depth of the structural survey required for the extended cottage and detached guest house.
- Annual home insurance: approximately €600 to €1,200 depending on cover levels, location, and the oil-fired heating system.
Forum Talk
What people are saying about this area
- Locals frequently discuss the stunning coastal scenery and proximity to Tragumna Beach as major highlights of the area.
- Community groups often mention the popularity of the region for sailing, yachting, and outdoor leisure activities.
- Residents highlight the peaceful and unspoiled nature of the West Cork countryside near Skibbereen and Castletownshend.
- Common discussions among locals include the charm of rural living balanced with the convenience of being a short drive from Skibbereen market town.
LifeFit Assessment
How well this property may suit your lifestyle
Family
7 areas- Young Children8/10
The generous 1.5-acre plot and nearby beaches offer an exceptional outdoor playground for young children, though parents should note the rural hazards of local country roads and private laneways.
- Teenagers6/10
The inclusion of a detached guest house provides wonderful independent space for teenagers or visiting friends, though the remote rural setting means older teens will heavily rely on parents for transport.
- Multi-generational Living9/10
The combination of the main three-bedroom cottage and a substantial detached two-bedroom guest house creates an ideal arrangement for multi-generational living or accommodating extended family.
- Single Buyers3/10
At an asking price of €525,000 and with extensive grounds requiring regular upkeep, this large dual-dwelling property is typically beyond the scale and budget suited for single buyers.
- Couples8/10
Couples looking for a coastal lifestyle will appreciate the panoramic sea views, modernised interior finishes, and the bonus guest house for hobbies or visiting guests.
- Empty Nesters7/10
The property offers a peaceful rural retreat with stunning views, though the traditional cottage layout and extensive grounds mean ongoing maintenance should be carefully considered.
- Retirees6/10
While the single-level living potential in the guest house and peaceful setting appeal to retirees, the rural location, traditional stairs in the main cottage, and grounds maintenance present some challenges.
Work
3 areas- Remote Working7/10
The separate guest house provides an outstanding detached space to set up a private home office, though buyers should verify local broadband speeds for professional remote work.
- Hybrid Commuting3/10
With Cork International Airport approximately 75 minutes away and major employment hubs distant, hybrid commuting is only practical for those with flexible schedules or infrequent office visits.
- Retired8/10
The peaceful atmosphere, scenic coastal views, and potential for guest accommodation make this an appealing option for retirement, provided ongoing property maintenance is manageable.
Practical
8 areas- Ageing in Place6/10
While the guest house offers potential single-level living, the main cottage has bedrooms on the first floor and the rural location requires driving for daily needs, meaning buyers should evaluate long-term suitability.
- Low Maintenance4/10
Comprising two separate dwellings (cottage and guest house), c. 1.5 acres of grounds, a septic tank, and well water, the property requires active ongoing maintenance.
- Secure Gated Entry5/10
Approached over a private laneway providing good privacy, though buyers may wish to install private gates for added security.
- Minimalist Design3/10
The property is a traditional two-storey extended cottage paired with a detached guest house, representing a classic vernacular style rather than minimalist architecture.
- Flexible Floor Plans9/10
The rare combination of a 3-bedroom main cottage and a detached 2-bedroom guest house offers exceptional spatial flexibility for family, guests, or working from home.
- Heritage Home8/10
The structure is a traditional two-storey extended cottage that retains classic character while benefiting from recent interior updates.
- Ecological Setup4/10
The property relies on a private well and septic tank, and carries an E2 BER energy rating, indicating that energy efficiency upgrades should be investigated by the buyer.
- Outdoor areas9/10
With c. 1.5 acres of grounds mainly in lawn, a front terrace, a detached shed, and stunning proximity to beaches and coastal scenery, the outdoor amenities are fantastic.
Interests
9 areas- Gardening8/10
Set on approximately 1.5 acres of grounds laid out mainly in lawn, there is ample space for avid gardeners to develop flower beds, vegetable plots, or landscaping.
- Walking9/10
Being within walking distance of local beaches and surrounded by scenic coastal roads makes this an exceptional location for walking enthusiasts.
- Gym2/10
There are no commercial gym facilities nearby, meaning residents would need to rely on a home gym setup, potentially utilising space in the detached guest house or shed.
- Cycling7/10
The surrounding country and coastal roads offer scenic cycling routes, though riders must share narrow rural lanes with local traffic.
- Golf5/10
Golf enthusiasts will need to travel to regional courses, as there are no championship golf facilities immediately adjacent to the property.
- Fishing8/10
The coastal location provides great proximity to marine environments for sea fishing enthusiasts looking to explore the Southwest Irish coast.
- Horse Riding7/10
The rural setting and quiet laneways offer a pleasant environment for equestrian pursuits, with potential to utilise the spacious grounds.
- Water Sports9/10
With Tragumna Beach within walking distance and regional leisure activities heavily featuring sailing and yachting, water sports fans are exceptionally well catered for.
- Entertaining9/10
Featuring an open-plan kitchen/dining area, a sunroom, a front terrace, and a completely separate two-bedroom guest house, the property is brilliantly equipped for hosting guests and entertaining.
Lifestyle
5 areas- Quiet Living10/10
Approached via a private laneway on 1.5 acres of lawn and surrounded by unspoilt countryside, the property guarantees an exceptionally peaceful and quiet living environment.
- Rural Living10/10
Situated in rural County Cork with panoramic views over the countryside, this property embodies the classic Irish rural lifestyle.
- Village Living5/10
While close to local beaches, the nearest amenities and villages like Castletownshend and Skibbereen require a short drive rather than being immediately on the doorstep.
- Coastal Living9/10
The property enjoys a south-facing aspect with panoramic views over the coastline and is within walking distance of Tragumna Beach and Tralagough Beach.
- Urban Living1/10
Located in a deeply rural coastal setting far from city centres, this property offers none of the characteristics of urban living.
Social
6 areas- Community Involvement6/10
Engaging with the local community will rely on participating in events and activities in nearby Skibbereen and surrounding coastal villages.
- Café Culture4/10
Local amenities are limited right at the immediate location, requiring a short drive into nearby towns or villages to access local cafés and social spots.
- Nightlife2/10
This is a quiet, rural coastal location devoid of urban nightlife, with local socializing centered around traditional country pubs in nearby settlements.
- Health/Wellness groups5/10
Wellness groups and classes can be found in nearby Skibbereen, though local offerings directly in the immediate townland are sparse.
- Networking Opportunities2/10
Professional networking is virtually non-existent in this rural area, making it entirely unsuitable for those requiring local business networking.
- Tech-Hub Connectivity1/10
The property is located in a rural coastal region far from any designated technology hubs or innovation centers.
Listing information
- Agent
- Charles McCarthy Auctioneers
- Phone
- 028 21 533
- Published on HouseDelve
- 30 September 2026
- Correction
- Report an issue
HD-8A97F1HouseDelve · Republic of IrelandReport checks
Sources used: Public marketplace, Property Price Register, and grounded web research where available.
Automated quality checks: Passed
* Estimate — not advice. Actual costs and outcomes can vary materially. Obtain current quotations and professional advice before making financial or property decisions.