Derreenard House
Derreenard House is a cozy, traditional Irish farmhouse carefully and lovingly restored by skilled crafts people, with beautiful stone outbuildings nestled in a verdant valley of rural West Cork.
Originally built in 1910 the main house is of local stone and sits within 7.5 acres of land. The property has spectacular, far-reaching views over the valley on one side and on the other, Roaring Water Bay, Cape Clear and the magnificent Atlantic Ocean.
Until circa 2008 Derreenard House was the home of the O’Regan family who had lived on and farmed the land since the 1800’s. We (Austin and Gwen Lawler) bought the property in 2018, it had fallen into significant disrepair and was uninhabitable and the 7.5 acres of land had run riot to the delight of the local bird and small mammal population.
Over the past 5 years we have returned the property to its former glory and harnessed some of the land while at the same time maximising biodiversity and sustainability.
We began work on the main farmhouse in February 2023 and were delighted to move in on 20 April 2025. The original stone structure has been renovated using a combination of traditional methods, natural materials and modern technology, to create a warm, low impact home that respects its origins whilst at the same time responding to 21stC expectations of comfort. We’ve worked with local builders and craftspeople and where we could we restored original furniture found in the house and we’ve reused and recycled wood and stone from outbuildings that were beyond repair.
We are delighted to share the fruits of our labours as we continue to pursue a sustainable existence that prioritises preserving home and land for future generations.
The Sniper’s Barn
The Sniper’s Barn, named after the sniper’s windows discovered in the west facing end of the building, was the first part of the renovation project to be completed. Originally a dwelling house for the O’Regan family and built in the late 18th or early 19th Century it became a barn for housing animals and storing farm machinery when the new farmhouse was built in 1910.
By the time we bought the property the barn was beyond repair, and it had to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. We began work on the barn in September 2020 and were able to move in and make it our home on 19 November 2021.
The Sniper’s Barn offers a spacious, double height Kitchen and Dining area with stairs up to a mezzanine level – The Deck – which has lovely views South, West and North, and that provides a cosy, relaxing area for reading, watching TV or simply doing nothing.
Off the main space is a separate double bedroom and a separate wet-room. The building makes the most of new materials and technology and is a light, warm, comfortable space that was our home for 3.5 years while we worked on the renovation of the farmhouse. The ground sourced underfloor heating will keep you toast throughout the winter.
Beyond the buildings
Alongside the building and renovation work we have made inroads to taming the surrounding land; we began by planting 200 native trees in April 2020 and established a ‘kitchen’ garden that includes a 12m polytunnel, vegetable patch and a small orchard from which we now harvest a significant amount of our own organic produce.
From time to time, you will see horses and donkeys grazing on our land and in so doing keeping the grass under control!
The Polytunnel
Growing our food. We aim to be self-sufficient in a completely organic way and this has been a steep learning curve for the both of us! The joy of pulling vegetables from the earth and eating them fresh that evening encourages us to expand and diversify what can be produced. We’ve even grown melons! Some of this produce may end up on your plates!
The Pets
We have cats that you will never see and two dogs Fiadh and Finbarr. They are very friendly and will always say hello.
