From beach to home in minutes, seas the day at €395K Baltimore bungalow

KINSALE grabs most of the headlines thanks to members of the Billionaire Boys’ Club scooping up properties and spending millions more on epic renovations. Just this week, the Irish Examiner revealed that a €4.75m Georgian villa in Sandycove had been virtually demolished by its new US owner, coal mining scion, James Berwind, as part of a wider plan to rebuild and enlarge. But while Kinsale undoubtedly has a lot to offer – swish marina, gourmet grub, cbocolate-box streetscape, breathtaking harbour views – it lacks the rugged charm of West Cork’s Baltimore. If you like polish and sophistication, head to Kinsale, but if natural beauty is more your bag, Baltimore is where it’s at.

Like Kinsale, property prices in Baltimore can be steep, but multi-million euro sales are few and far between. The highest price paid for a home in Baltimore since 2020 was €1.645m, while Kinsale has breached the €5m mark more than once (additional purchases by Mr Berwind).

The bottom line is Baltimore’s bottom line is more affordable, including the property featured here.

Located in an area known as The Cove, it’s south of the pretty fishing village, just beyond an actual cove, at the start of Beacon Road - which leads to the distinctive, white Baltimore beacon, a centuries-old 50 ft high, clifftop navigational aid.

The house in question is an unassuming 30-year-old bungalow, in the ownership of a Cork city-based family for c 25 years. It’s only ever been used as a personal holiday home, never rented out. Nicely maintained and comfortable, it’s designed for relaxation, with zero garden maintenance.

 The house backs into a rock face and all the outdoor space is to the front, where it’s paved for parking.

What you don’t have is a view of the bay but step out the front door and the little cove that gives the area its name is just 200m down the road. Forgetting the sunscreen will not be an issue: You can be from beach to home in one minute.

It’s a short stroll to the village too, which comes alive in the summer months, packed with day trippers taking the fast ferry to nearby Sherkin Island and Cape Clear, or sailors taking their yachts out around Roaringwater Bay and Carbery’s Hundred Isles.

 Sailors converge in droves for the first week of August too, when the popular Baltimore Regatta, known as Calves Week (named after local islands) creates a great spectacle on the water and lively quayside, with activity spread over a handful of cosy pubs. 

There’s a hint of sophistication too at two-star Michelin restaurant Dede at The Customs House, where Turkish chef, Ahmet Dede, has spiced things up.

Holiday home hunters in search of a no-frills, maintenance-free bolthole in West Cork, on the Wild Atlantic Way, will find much to like here. Selling agent Johanna Murphy of Johanna Murphy & Sons reckons the bungalow will attract both domestic and international buyers, particularly sailing enthusiasts. Baltimore Sailing Club holds sailing camps throughout the summer months.

The bungalow is a decent size – 1300 sq ft – and comes with three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area.

Ms Murphy says it has had a number of upgrades including a new oil tank, new oil burner, new fridge freezer, new cooker, new blinds and carpets throughout.

“It’s well worth viewing and the guide price of €395,000 is excellent,” she says.

VERDICT: Solid bolthole with easy access to the shoreline. Carnival atmosphere in the village during the summer months and during Calves Week.