Rapid(s) sale on stream for Wild Atlantic Way's riverside Ouvane Falls Inn

Bantry Bay guesthouse, bar and restaurant by river rapids and falls on angling river could be quite the catch

Wed, 26 Feb, 2025 - 15:10

Property Editor Tommy Barker reports

A WILD Atlantic Way waterside bar, restaurant, and 14-bed guesthouse, right by a tumbling waterfall on a salmon-and-sea-trout angling river in West Cork, could itself be quite the catch.

Fresh to market is the scenically-set Ouvane Falls Inn, on the fringes of Bantry Bay, on the N71 artery between Bantry, Ballylickey and Glengarriff — all beauty spots.

As if that’s not enough, it also has the Ouvane falls on its boundary by a bridge and road junction, where the Ouvane river finally reaches the sea at Bantry, having flowed past Carriganass Castle, at Kealkil, in a valley draining from Caha mountains.

Tide turning: bay view from the Ouvane Falls Inn

The Ouvane Falls was last for sale in 2017, carrying a €650,000 AMV and was bought by a Dublin family who are now selling on, listing it with estate agent Michael Pigott, who seeks €950,000 and who describes the junction-set premises as a landmark, and says it gets strong guest-bedroom business (rates on Tripadvior are €88 per night), gets good local support, and has planning for a 2,600 sq ft staff-accommodation building on the other side of its accessible car park.

Likely to still be seen as something of a sleeping giant, with scope for going further upmarket and reinstating café uses, “it has all the attributes to make for a unique experience and a hugely exciting business opportunity in West Cork”, says Mr Pigott.

There’s early interest from hospitality businesses in the wider Bantry to Glengarriff locale, who are looking to expand and grow, Mr Pigott says, and the profile setting, with slower traffic speeds— due to the bend in the bridge where the R594 Cork-to-Bantry line (via Kealkil) meets the N71 Cork-Killarney coastal route (with bus service to Killarney) — are a boon.

It’s within a walk of the large Eagle Point camping site, upmarket guest accommodation at Ballylickey, and landmarks like Mannings Emporium, and is 5kms from Bantry town.

It has outdoor and patio/garden seating for water views and aspect, Bord Fáilte-approved 14 en-suite bedrooms, bar, restaurant, 60-person function/dining room, commercial kitchen, cafe/lounge, customer car-park and adjoining site with planning for a substantial, 2,600 sq ft detached staff residence.

“While its already well known as a bar/restaurant, the property’s accommodation and configuration will allow its new owners explore different avenues of residing, entertaining and generating income,” says the selling agent, expecting a ‘rapids’ sale of the place by the falls.

DETAILS: michaelpigott.ie