A West Clare couple has put both of their houses on the Wild Atlantic Way up for raffle, with tickets priced at £4.50 and the draw scheduled for December 31, 2026. Lucy and James Fennelly made the decision after Lucy underwent her second spinal discectomy surgery earlier this year, and they have pledged 5% of net proceeds to Spinal Injuries Ireland and St Bernard Sanctuary.
The properties sit in the fishing village of Carrigaholt on the Loop Head Peninsula, one of the quieter stretches of the 2,500km coastal route. The couple bought and renovated the terraced houses, which date from 1894, around seven years ago, according to TurfNet, which reported on the raffle last month.
What is on offer
The larger of the two is the Fennellys' family home, listed on Raffall at roughly 1,550 square feet. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a snug, a sitting room, a utility room, a walk-in larder, an art studio, a home office, and a plant room, with a BER rating of C2, solar panels, a thermodynamic hot water system, and fiber broadband.
Next door is Diarmuid's Cottage, listed at around 670 square feet. Sandwiched between the two is Blakes in Carrigaholt, the couple's Airbnb unit, which holds a 4.91 rating from more than 160 reviews on the platform. The Airbnb listing notes that the 1894 building has been used in two movies and that the props still hang inside. Those props will be gifted to the new owner, the Clare Herald reported in August.
Both houses have private south-facing courtyards, and the main house has a garden running almost to the shoreline, with views across the Shannon Estuary toward Carrigaholt Castle. The winner will also receive €20,000 toward relocation, redecorating, and renovation costs, and will have standard legal fees and property stamp duty on the transfer covered by the hosts.
Why are they giving up the house?
A discectomy removes part of a damaged spinal disc to relieve pressure on a nerve root. Lucy Fennelly has now had two of them, the most recent earlier in 2026, and the couple says the raffle is a way to plan for her future care needs rather than a conventional sale.
Speaking to Clare FM in August, Lucy said the decision had been a difficult one, but that she hoped the raffle would give someone a route onto the property ladder while raising money for two causes the family cares about. She told the station her heart would always remain in Clare.
The two charities named are Spinal Injuries Ireland, which supports people living with spinal cord injury and their families, and St Bernard Sanctuary, an animal rescue. The listing states that 5% of net proceeds will be split equally between them. Neither organization has publicly confirmed the arrangement.
The raffle is hosted on Raffall, a UK-based platform that takes a commission on each ticket sold, which is why tickets are priced in sterling at £4.50 even though the prizes are quoted in euros. Entries close on December 31, 2026.