Cruise control: In a place that forged the writing of John McGahern, there is a four-bedroom, B BER-rated detached house on the banks of the Shannon’s lesser-navigated waterway, the River Boyle, for €429k.
Set along the banks of the River Boyle, between the towns of Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon, is the village of Cootehall, the crucible that helped forge the writing talent of John McGahern.
Whose work so shocked mid-century Ireland that his second novel, The Dark, was banned under the Censorship of Publications Act.
The village was home to a young John McGahern, who moved with his siblings into the garda barracks following the death of their mother.
Address: 10 Cuilmore Cove, Cootehall, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, F52 YC57
Asking price: €429,000
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Farrell
His father was a Garda Sargent there and his first novel, The Barracks, is partially influenced by that time.
The premises are now a museum dedicated to the writer, partially funded by the sale of papers belonging to the former President, Mary MacAleese, who donated them to help with its upkeep.
Part of the Shannon river basin, the Boyle River flows through Lough Gara to Lough Key through the heritage town of Boyle and Cootehall village.
The village is a picturesque place whose key feature is the three-arch bridge that crosses the river.
It is a magnet for boatmen keen to navigate Ireland’s inland waterways.
Across from the barracks is a fine four-bedroom detached house with views of Ireland’s aquatic spine from all of its front windows.
Stone-clad, number 10 Cuilmore Cove sits high above the banks detached house. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom property measures about 169 square metres and opens into a double-height hall with a galleried landing above.
The ground floor has a formal sitting room and a large broken-plan room that includes an eat-in kitchen and living room. Double doors from each lead outside to a well-planted garden.
Upstairs there are four good-sized double bedrooms. The principal is en suite.
Agents Sherry FitzGerald Farrell is seeking €429,000 for the B BER-rated residence.
Boyle is a journey of about 11 kilometres, while across the border in Co Leitrim, Carrick-on-Shannon is a distance of 13 kilometres.
