Seaside Sanctuary

When Belfast couple Marie and Alan went hunting for a holiday home-from-home right here in Northern Ireland, they found it... where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

- MARIE MCMILLEN

There’s a spot in Co. Down that’s more like Maine than Mourne thanks to a New England-style make-over of a 1970s bungalow.

Though when Marie and Alan bought the property in Newcastle 18 months ago, the house they took on was oceans away from the sunny Stateside look it enjoys today.

It’s been a passion project though for the newly retired couple who are busier than ever and were after a weekend bolthole for themselves, friends and family.

‘We’d fancied a Northern Ireland hideaway for a while, but until we were in a position to take one on, we hadn’t actually decided on where—we’re spoilt for choice over here!’ says Marie.

The North Coast, of course, had always been a favourite but as the couple took the chance to enjoy some short breaks here they realised that actually the delights of Down, and the Mourne area in particular, were increasingly appealing.

After a weekend staying in the Harbour House Inn on Newcastle’s South Promenade, Marie and Alan’s minds were set. ‘The area has so much to offer; Murlough, forest parks, the mountains and loads of restaurants and bars,’ says Marie.

‘We liked the quiet outskirts of Newcastle, in particular the harbour area which is the old part of Newcastle. We came home from that weekend, went on the net and spotted this. We didn’t even consider anything else!’

Built in 1972, the three-bed detached bungalow had one bathroom and a main reception room that wasn’t exactly to the couple’s taste, but seeing beyond that they realised its potential to become the waterside home they were after.

‘Everyone has their own style. I happen to like the white and light theme but the bungalow seemed quite dark and heavy. I knew that was nothing that couldn’t be brightened with paint. For us, the views were the big seller. It just feels like there’s nothing between you and the sea, and you just can’t put a price on that,’ says Marie, who couldn’t wait to get stuck in.