{"id":542579,"date":"2026-07-10T10:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T10:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/542579\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T10:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T10:58:16","slug":"sea-on-the-doorstep-of-e1-595m-kinsale-home-owned-by-member-of-corks-crosbie-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/542579\/","title":{"rendered":"Sea on the doorstep of \u20ac1.595m Kinsale home owned by member of Cork’s Crosbie family"},"content":{"rendered":"

THOSE for whom the sea is both a balm and a playground will fall head-over-heels for D\u00faneen, a shoreline-hugging home in Kinsale\u2019s Summercove, where saltwater spray will curl your hair faster than a Dyson Airwrap.<\/p>\n

The singularity of the site D\u00faneen is on was not lost on \u00dana Crosbie, who made a bold play for it when aged just 19, long before the house itself was built. Back then it was more summer shack than permanent dwelling, and when \u00dana bought it, she had no real plan for how or when she might develop it. Her motivation was simply to secure the site for future use.<\/p>\n

\"Shore-huggingShore-hugging D\u00faneen\"BulmanBulman pub to the left, Charles Fort to the right<\/p>\n

Despite her tender age at the time of her first foray into the febrile world of real estate, the teenager knew what she was doing as the Crosbies \u2014 former owners of the Cork Examiner, now the Irish Examiner \u2014 are keen sailors and have a long association with Kinsale and particularly Summercove.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The plot in question had been used for summer accommodation by successive family members over two generations, going back as far as Commander George Crosbie, who served with the Irish Naval Service in the Second World War.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my grandfather had it, there was always a little ladder so they could lower themselves down for a swim in the sea,\u201d \u00dana says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These days, access is less risky: a door in the wall at the seaward side has private access to steps, with a handrail for added safety. For thrill seekers, there\u2019s even a diving board (and private jetty).<\/p>\n

Come high tide, you\u2019ll find \u00dana enjoying the daily ritual of an invigorating sea swim. It\u2019s one of the perks of a home right above the shoreline, which despite its proximity to the coast, has never flooded.<\/p>\n

\n The wall protects it from everything. It\u2019s like a fort. I spent Storm Ophelia here and while people might think we get blasted, we don\u2019t\n <\/p>\n

The robustness of the site fed into the house name, D\u00faneen, meaning Little Fort, which is a nod also to the famous historical landmark in its backyard, namely the massive 17th century fortress known as Charles Fort. On the headland right above Summercove, it was built to guard the mouth of Kinsale Harbour from the threat of foreign invaders. Nowadays, foreign \u2018invaders\u2019 are welcomed with open arms as the fort \u2014 a managed heritage site \u2014 is recognised as one of the most striking landmarks in Co Cork and one of Ireland\u2019s best-preserved military fortifications.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"CharlesCharles Fort<\/p>\n

Visitors can walk the broad ramparts while enjoying sweeping harbour views across Kinsale and out into the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Back down the hill in D\u00faneen, visitors were also welcomed with open arms to a home where catering was an art form.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Country-styleCountry-style kitchen<\/p>\n

\u00dana, who spent a lifetime working in hospitality, says she \u201cknew exactly what I wanted when we were designing the house, which was a big, farmhouse kitchen, and everything else followed from there\u201d, including a pantry and a utility, for washing off sea spray after a dinghy ride, or for hanging wetsuits and dry robes.<\/p>\n

It was great hub for entertaining, helped along by an Aga and a six-ring John Lewis gas hob, with striking wall art in the dining area adding to the party mood.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mum had a beautiful collection of classical records that I didn\u2019t want to get rid of, so I hung them on the wall instead,\u201d the owner says.<\/p>\n

The wall art is reflective of \u00dana\u2019s distinctive taste, which is also reflected in the house itself. Built 35 years ago by herself and her husband, it was designed on their behalf by a shipwright and his architect wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cI worked in a ski chalet when I was younger and I wanted that look. I wanted wooden cladding, a bit like the pavilion homes along the Thames,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There was a \u201ckind of summer shack\u201d on the site at the time and they extended that in various directions.<\/p>\n

It took a while to get it through the planning process \u2014 they had to wait a while for an upstairs room, which is now the main en suite bedroom with double doors to a roof terrace.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThe views are sensational in the evening time, because the house is west-facing,\u201d \u00dana says. You don\u2019t have to traipse through the main bedroom to reach the terrace \u2014 external wrought iron steps lead up from ground floor level. Or you can stay downstairs and get the same outlook from the veranda off the cosy sitting room, warmed in winter by a combi stove.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

The interplay of weather, light, and tide is mesmerising. Standing at the kitchen sink is more a blessing than a chore, as is sitting at the breakfast counter, where every sail that flutters in Kinsale drifts into view.<\/p>\n

All of the main living accommodation in the three-bed home faces seaward, except for the downstairs back bedroom. Even the view from there is towards a well-known Kinsale landmark \u2014 less monument than much-loved social hub.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Picture:Picture: Larry Cummins<\/p>\n

The Bulman pub is as much part of the fabric of Summercove as Charles Fort, and possibly even predates it, not in its current form, but as a small inn.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows the orange pub on the water,\u201d says \u00dana and for sure it\u2019s mighty busy this time of year, as is the town of Kinsale itself with its pretty streetscape and fine restaurants and safe beaches to swim at.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a big wrench to sell up, but with family reared and mainly overseas, \u00dana plans to downsize locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very special place and anyone who views it will see that. It\u2019s wild in winter but very safe. It\u2019s fabulous in summer, especially if you are sea oriented. Summercove has always been very special,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Johnny O\u2019Connor of Barry Auctioneers is handling the sale of D\u00faneen and most of the interest so far is from overseas, mainly the USA. Two parties have had architects call on their behalf without having viewed it themselves.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"D\u00faneen,D\u00faneen, Summercove, Kinsale<\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Connor says it\u2019s a unique site \u2014 with off street parking \u2014 and scope to extend sideways or to go up. \u201cIt\u2019s protected almost as much as Charles Fort, so there are no issues with flooding,\u201d he says, adding the quip that \u201canyone who likes sandy toes and salty kisses should buy this property\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

His guide price for the 126sq m three-bed is \u20ac1.595m, but it is Kinsale, where prices are driven as much by location and views as by square footage. Earlier this year Charles Cottage, a 136sq m, two storey, streetside three bed, on the town side of The Bulman, with more garden but lesser views than D\u00faneen, sold for just over \u20ac1m, while a terraced renovated two storey closer to The Bulman, with upstairs views, sold for \u20ac1.104m last year.<\/p>\n

\n VERDICT: A 19-year-old\u2019s foresight guaranteed her a lifetime of stunning sea views which nothing will ever interrupt, bar the occasional superyacht. Lovers of the coast will adore D\u00faneen\u2019s location, just above the shoreline, in naturally beautiful Summercove.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"THOSE for whom the sea is both a balm and a playground will fall head-over-heels for D\u00faneen, a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":542580,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,4257,61,60],"class_list":["post-542579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-cork-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}