There is something quietly audacious about a cutting-edge contemporary home beside one of Ireland’s grand historical estates. While Farnham House on the outskirts of Cavan town carries four centuries of history in its stone walls, Hygge, which was completed in 2023 on land adjoining the resort, looks firmly to the future.
The Farnham Estate was granted by King James I to the Waldron family in 1613. The Waldrons built a castle here in 1620, called Dromellan, but were later forced to sell the estate to settle gambling debts. The building and its 24,000-acre estate were bought by Bishop Robert Maxwell and would remain in the hands of the Maxwell dynasty for the next 330 years, during which time the castle became known as Farnham House.
In 2001, local pharmacist Roy McCabe bought the property from the 12th Lord Farnham for about €6.5 million and went on to develop it at a reported cost of €85 million. The resort has been in the hands of Thomas Röggla’s TMR Hotel Collection since its sale in 2016.
It is no longer the only impressive building on the land, however. The owners of Hygge bought seven acres of land beside the hotel and completed the build of the house in 2023. While part of the structure adopts a more traditional two-storey form, the adjoining flat-roofed section introduces a distinctly contemporary style.
The five-bedroom, A-rated house is on the market seeking €1.95 million through Savills. Architecturally designed and extending to 489sq m (5,268sq ft), it also includes a separate three-bedroom gate lodge.
The double front doors open into a gallery hallway that is large enough to accommodate both a piano and seating area. To the left is a sittingroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grounds, while tucked behind the staircase is a bedroom with a large utility room beside it.
The opposite side of the hallway leads into the single-level wing. Here, full-length glazing on both sides allows access to the many outdoor terraces. The livingroom sits on an elevated level, with steps leading down to the kitchen and dining area.
The sleek, dark kitchen was designed by Robinson Interiors in Belfast with a substantial island, stone worktops and high-spec integrated appliances. Beyond the kitchen is a more casual family room with direct access to the car garage and plant room.
Elsewhere on the ground floor, a corridor off the hallway leads to a planned spa area where the substructure and plumbing for a wave pool are already in place. A changing room sits to one side, with a games room opposite, giving the space the feel of a private leisure suite. There is also another bedroom in this wing.
Upstairs are three further bedrooms. The main suite spans the width of the house and has a dressingroom, a walk-in wardrobe and bathroom. The other two bedrooms are en suite.
The finish is of high quality throughout the property, with trunk timber flooring running from room to room, bathrooms by David Scott, Belfast, and lighting designed by JR Lighting, Newry. The house runs on an air-to-water heat pump and has fingerprint-access doors.
Outside, the gardens have been landscaped by Brackley Landscaping to create a sequence of courtyards and terraces finished in Portuguese granite and extensive planting. The gate lodge at the entrance requires some updating, but its existing layout with three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and livingroom, gives it clear potential as guest accommodation or a self-contained workspace.
