The best of both worlds and it won't cost the earth

IF YOU fancy the idea of a beautiful home in one of the most scenic corners of Ireland, Carrablagh could be for you.

This gorgeous two-storey home is situated miles from the hustle and bustle of city life on the Fanad Peninsula in north Donegal.

The interior of the six- bedroom home is impressive, but so too are the views. It has a stunning 500-yard sea frontage facing east to Lough Swilly and a sweep out to the sea.

The house is just a short walk from miles of golden sands and a five- minute drive to the golf course.

At pounds 290,000 the asking price is a fraction of what such a house would fetch if it was within commuting distance of Dublin. And in Wicklow it would probably fetch nearly 10 times that.

Sitting in 10 acres, its gorgeous gardens include a delightful shamrock-shaped raised area of rose and flower beds surrounding a central sundial base.

The main but informal gardens have beautiful walks through a magnificent maze of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.

Built in 1982, the house is approached through wrought iron gates with stone pillars.

It is on the northern outskirts of Portsalon on the picturesque road to Fanad Head, 10 miles from Milford and an hour-and-a-half from both Derry and Donegal airports.

The house has a porch entrance with cloakroom and toilet. The hall measures 22ft 10in by 11ft 6in and has parquet flooring and an understairs cupboard.

The dining room measures 17ft 9in by 14ft 10in and has a handy hatch through to the kitchen.

Visitors are greeted by the sight of an open fireplace in the substantial lounge which measures 16ft 1in by 13ft 6in. Next door is a 23ft 7in by 14ft 4in drawing room which has another open fireplace with timber surround.

There are shelved alcoves and double French doors through to the south- facing conservatory, and a newly-built sun lounge gets the best of the good weather and is a tranquil spot in which to relax on summer days.

There is plenty of space in the lounge - 26ft 10in by 14ft 9in - which has a small garden room off to the side and doors to the back garden.

The kitchen, doubling as a breakfast room, measures 23ft 5in by 14ft and has a great family feel thanks to an oil-fired Aga range and alcove.

This family room is easy to keep clean as it has a tiled floor, full range of washable timber cupboards and twin stainless steel sink units, one with waste disposal unit.

Off the kitchen lies a spacious, tiled and plumbed utility room measuring 11ft 7in by 9ft 3in, and there is a study-cum-bedroom of 11ft 8in by 10ft 6in tucked into the ground floor.

Upstairs, a landing doubles as a library with plenty of room for rows of books and files in the 13ft 10in by 8ft 8in space.

THE master bedroom measures 15ft 4in by 15ft and has superb walk- in wardrobes and an en-suite bathroom with vanity unit, bidet, toilet and basin.

Two other bedrooms are 13ft 4in by 11ft 6in and 14ft 3in by 11ft 5in, both featuring fitted wardrobes and basin, while the last two are 13ft 2in by 11ft and bedroom five is 13ft by 10ft 5in. Both boast fitted wardrobes.

The bathroom houses a large hot press with two immersion heaters and loads of storage space, basin and toilet. The shower room is fully-tiled with a pedestal basin and toilet.

There is also an extension off the landing with fitted shelving which measures 8ft 10in by 6ft 9in.

Outside is a beautiful big garden and double garage, tool shed and boiler house.

HOW TO VIEW

DUBLIN: Hamilton Osborne King 00 353 1 676 0251

DONEGAL: McCausland

00 353 7 453193

PRICE: pounds 290,000

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