Despite being little more than two decades old, there is a sense of timeless charm about Canbo in Co Roscommon.
Designed and constructed in 2000, the property, which is near Carrick-on-Shannon, takes its name from one of the two lakes it overlooks. “It was constructed by an Englishman who arrived over with an entire team of builders and supplies. After that it was owned by a Frenchman who used it as a shooting and fishing lodge,” explains one of the current owners, who are moving to be closer to family.
The owners gave the 212sq m (2,282sq ft) house a complete makeover when they bought the property in 2019. “Nothing structural needed to be done, but as some of the [then] wooden windows weren’t sitting great, we decided to replace them with uPVC ones.” They also replaced some doors and decking on the balconies: one lies off the kitchen and a second appears to float off the principal bedroom.
In addition, the kitchen was given a makeover with a new island counter and some units were replaced, while all of it has now been professionally painted with contemporary colours. The three bathrooms have also been replaced and the entire property is now in turnkey condition.
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Interiors are lovely and the main livingroom, which is warmed by a large hearth, has superb views overlooking Lough Lisdaly, while the front of the property — where the principal bedroom lies — overlooks Lough Canbo. A second living area lies inside the double-height hallway.
The house has just three bedrooms despite its substantial size, and during warm weather the owners often retreat to the property’s bespoke wooden cabin, located nearby in a cleared and replanted woodland. “The wood used in the summer house is 40mm thick and it’s fully insulated with double glazing and electricity, so it’s a really lovely place to be in the summer.”
Also for balmy weather there is a barbecue spot which has a fire pit, seating area and a large bar fully equipped with taps for kegs and a fridge freezer for wine and mixers for summer entertaining.
In addition, there is a three-car garage, one part of which is now a workshop with a special area to the back for drying logs for the wood-burning stove.
Lying on almost two acres, the house’s grounds are divided into three distinct sections, all of which have been cleared and replanted. “We’ve just put in lots of fruit trees with apples, pears and plums in the paddock,” say the owners of a large cleared area which also houses a polytunnel. Here the couple grow everything from strawberries, brassicas and a variety of lettuce, while a wine grapevine clambers through the back of the tunnel, and although just four years old, it’s already producing grapes.
In addition to the paddock, the woodlands have 60 new native trees and 1,000 wildflowers sowed, and the old brambled hedgerows that almost fenced the house have now been cleared and replaced with a bank of Portuguese laurel.
It’s a lovely spot surrounded with wildlife in the form of red squirrel, fox and a cuckoo who announces his arrival each spring. The lakes are known for brown trout and there’s also some woodcock and pheasant.
Canbo, which is about a 10-minute drive from Carrick-On-Shannon, where the Dublin to Sligo train stops, has a Ber of C1 and is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald Farrell, seeking €419,950.
