House of the week

THE heron has taken the fish from the ornamental pond, while the fox has just taken the laying hen this month.

And, having just hosted a wedding party for 130 guests, most of the seven children are reared and now moved out — yes, indeed, Rockcliffe House fits the ‘empty nest’ property sale category.

This family home with history is a rare enough property offer at any time, and hits the spring market on Cork’s city’s Blackrock Road with its gardens just coming into verdant life.

One of those great period homes along the Blackrock Road, Rockcliffe House last sold 30 years ago, to Bill and Ann Hosford, who reared seven children here, plus some ‘adoptees’ from among their children’s friends — it was the cool place to drop into and chill out at.

Be warned, it will need a clatter of family charging around to really maximise its retained space, as not only did the Hosfords raise seven here, the previous owners, Hugh and Pauline Coveney, also had seven children (one being current Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Simon Coveney) before decamping to the countryside at Minane Bridge in the early 1980s.

Back in the Coveneys’ early days at Rockcliffe, it stood on several acres of grounds and, originally, in the early 1800s, they’d most likely have run down almost to the River Lee’s edge, as did many of the fine neighbouring houses like Chiplee and Lindivlle. The late Hugh Coveney divided up the grounds, and built the Rockcliffe Village townhouses here, and he also made physical changes to the large main house itself.

Despite, and possibly because of, the interventions of different owners down the decades and centuries, Rockcliffe House is now a fascinating, unexpected house, full of surprises, and it is just going to charm the right buyers when they come to view it.

In a nutshell, first, it’s about 4,000 sq ft of old-grace period home, packed with detail and oddities, on a three-quarter acre site, with two very different garden sections, plus a renovated two-bed gate-lodge, by massively imposing tall limestsone entrance pillars and intact wrought iron gates. And, most important of all, the asking price is €900,000, via estate agent Malcolm Tyrrell of Cohalan Downing, who rightly declares Rockliffe to be one of the most attractive and beguiling old family homes to come up for sale in Cork city’s suburbs for some time.

The setting is near Menloe, with Blackrock village a walk away to the east, and the city centre also a manageable stroll way to the west. But, just go in the entrance gates and you could be in another world, or the country, especially in the south-facing orchard garden with its mix of apple and pear trees, herbaceous borders and densely planted perimeter. The formal columned front door opens into Rockcliffe’s first big surprise, an immense 20’ by 14’ entrance hall, with double height space, grand staircase and galleried landing with four arches spanning the house’s core. It’s not original to the period, but it works, with sun from the south streaming in over the top and bottom sash windows.

There are three main reception rooms, facing north towards the Lee (out of sight) and the Montenotte hills, and all around is greenery, such as the 200 year old Cedar of Lebanon, chestnut, cherry, and rhododendron, plus chicken run (pre the visit from the fox) and sweeping drive for parking.

It’s definitely a house of two faces, two facades, two aspects, and two gardens. It’s delightfully old-fashioned, and slightly haphazard. The kitchen’s old oil Stanley range drives the heating, there’s an alarm, an en suite master bedroom with dressing area and a guest loo etc. So it isn’t exactly basic, but it never really moved with the fashion, and so won’t suit fastidious modernists.

VERDICT: Worth having lots of children for.