On the western shores of Lough Swilly, Rathmullan is a pretty seaside village with a pier, marina and a beach. Its country house hotel, Rathmullan House, with lawns that roll down to the shore, is a big draw and it has also been a second home setting for decades for many in the nearby counties.
The village is a punctuation point in Irish history for it was from Portnamurray Bay, a short distance to the north, in 1607, that the chieftains of some of the leading families of Ulster, including the O’Donnells and the O’Neills, raised anchor, bound for Spain, in what has been called the Flight of the Earls. There is now a monument there by sculptor John Behan to commemorate the event.
From the balcony off the upstairs sittingroom at Rock Cottage – a five-bedroom, three-bathroom detached residence – you can see Lough Swilly and across the water to Fahan as well as the long sandy strip of Lisfannon Beach.
This sizeable house sits on lands originally purchased from the Fort Royal Hotel and is on what was once that establishment’s eighth fairway. A pump house belonging to the hotel on Kinnegar Road is listed on the Buildings of Ireland historical register.
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The backstory explains the property’s mature sylvan setting with views to the water through tall, elegant trees. The owners are second-generation holiday-home owners, whose parents bought the house about 25 years ago. It comes with right-of-way access directly to the beach, which is also just a short walk away by road.
Also notable are the nearby bike and walking trails through Rathmullan House that mean you can travel to the village centre without ever having to go on the roads, a boon for families.
The hotel also serves up delicious food, should you fancy eating out or taking away. There are several other good restaurants to sample: Belle’s Kitchen for brunch, the Water’s Edge for family gatherings framed by views lake views, and the Beachcomber Bar for a bowl of steamed mussels.
The owners completely renovated the interior, and although they haven’t extended it’s footprint, they did expand its plot size by buying additional land to allow them to create the smart, contemporary garden.
It has been designed to track the sun and has a patio that wraps around the house. The sun rises at the soccer pitch, where there is also a wellness centre comprising sauna, cold-plunge pool and whirlpool hot tub, under a steel pergola.
Inside, the residence, which extends to 238sq m (2,562 sq ft), is in as pristine condition as Rathmullan’s Blue Flag marina.
It opens into a large hall with a roomy kitchen-diner to the right. Its solid timber in-frame units, painted in Farrow & Ball colours and topped with marble, were designed by Derry-based Heywood and Robinson, who did all the bespoke joinery.
Full-size sliding glass doors open out to a patio where there is an outdoor kitchen and dining area. This steps up to a raised outdoor lounge, protected from the soft rainy days by a second steel pergola.
The owners hired a landscaper so that the garden would bloom all year round, also planting a herb garden of basil, mint, thyme and rosemary, so that they would have fresh herbs for cocktails.
Back indoors, with glass on three sides, the adjacent sunroom is glorious and gets light all day.
On the far side of the hall are two of the property’s five bedrooms. The principal has similar glass doors that open to the manicured garden. It has an en suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe.
There are three more bedrooms upstairs, one of which is en suite. Occupants of the other two will have to use the downstairs bathroom.
There’s plenty of marine activity too, with members of yacht club across the water at Fahan visiting regularly. You can also take fishing trips with Rathmullan Charters.
The B2-rated house, which has oil-fired central heating, is on the market seeking €1.75 million through joint selling agents Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Sherry FitzGerald Paul Reynolds.
