The managing director of one of the largest family-owned businesses in the country, the Gowan Group, said yesterday that the scarcity of new housing has held back the performance of its appliance and consumer electronics business.

Nothing’s overlooked at Gorse Lodge, bar a picturesque creek by the sublime Kinsale area’s Sandycove Island, finds Tommy Barker.    

Faith Ryan settles into autumn with some inspiring buys.

A sun-washed viewing terrace is the opener to country house style off Cork’s Lee Road. Rose Martin reports.

THE UNDERSTATED quality of a home like Westbury would sell it to almost any house hunter looking for a comfortable place to retreat to.

DESPITE a design world frenzied by terraces of blocky base units, pumping with colour and sharply edged in flashes of streamlined steel, the classic country-themed kitchen still retains its hold on our hearts.

Dare I mention the ‘C’ word in October? I’d prefer if it were banned until a week before December 25, but while I indulge in a little bah-humbug, I admit certain preparations need to take place weeks before we celebrate the high feast of retail.

Cast-iron cooker maker AGA Rangemaster said the appetite of householders for buying kitchen appliances was growing despite uncertainties around interest rates and the mortgage market.

Britain’s housing market revival helped heat up sales at cooker maker Aga Rangemaster as its recent trading has fired ahead.

One of the largest family- owned businesses in the country, the Gowan Group, last year returned to profit to record pre-tax profits of €6.3m.

Dermot Weld has joined the roster of trainers supported by the Aga Khan in order for his owning and breeding operation to diversify in Ireland.

Britain’s housing market recovery is spurring on a sales revival for cast iron cooker maker Aga Rangemaster after years of difficult trading.

Each week, Esther N McCarthy scouts around for interesting bits for your home.

Losses at one of the largest family-owned businesses in the country, the Gowan Group continued to mount in 2010, new figures show.

There is abundant evidence of its owners’ interests in this home, says Tommy Barker.

EVERY YEAR the Georgina Campbell Awards are eagerly awaited by the restaurant industry.

Ardfionn is a big, modern contemporary build, Tommy Barker reports.

The firm behind iconic cast iron Aga cookers reported a surge in annual profits today and said the bounce back in sales should continue into 2011.

Rose Martin catches up with the year-long renewal of a period home as it faces into new occupation

The maker of iconic cast iron Aga cookers today said it was on track to meet forecasts for this year after a seasonal pick-up in sales.

AN original of the species, and the original of its setting, is Richmond House, a Georgian villa near Glanmire, Co Cork whose original wooded grounds have been swallowed up by one-off housing in the past number of decades.

IT might look old, but it’s a period home copy – in fact, it is possibly better than the original.

BILLOWING skirts and ribboned bonnets – this sublime Regency Lodge near Bandon, Co Cork, really does bring on a Jane Austen moment.

ALL OVER the country people are rediscovering the joy of growing their own vegetables, a little soft fruit, an apple tree or even a few fresh herbs. It’s not just about the economics – there is the sheer thrill of digging your own potatoes, carrots or beets and it is certainly is a thrill having waited patiently for four to five months for them to grow.

The maker of iconic cast iron Aga cookers today said it expected 2009 figures to show a return to profit after seeing a bounce back in demand.

HOUSE-HUNTERS looking for a modern house, with the best of everything in it, will be pretty pleased with the specification of ArdFionn — this hillside house is truly top-drawer.

HARD to find a fault with Butlerstown House — even the asking price of €1.5 million seems reasonable, all things considered.

Upmarket cooker firm Aga Rangemaster today said its order intake dipped 5% this summer amid challenging consumer markets.

AGA Foodservice Group is to rationalise operations in Ireland, which will result in job losses and the implementation of short-time working.

THERE’S a sense of timelessness on Cork’s Sunday’s Well — a feeling that you could as easily be in the 19th as the 21st century.

Kitchens specialist Aga Foodservice cut the size of its business today after agreeing the £260m (€372m) sale of its commercial equipment arm.

Kitchen equipment group Aga Foodservice today posted a 5% rise in half-year profits boosted by strong sales of its Rangemaster cookers.

Kitchens group Aga Foodservice said today it was considering a move to spin off its catering equipment business.

A cool way to serve a delicious breakfast in a glass — it’s bursting with goodness.

Makes 8-10

Iconic oven maker Aga Foodservice said heavy promotional work and new product lines helped it overcome a “mixed” 2006 to post a pre-tax profits rise of 8% to £46m (€67m).

“THEY just don’t build them like they used to,” is a familiar enough complaint, close to a truism.

THE owners of Wexford-based Senator Windows are in line for a multimillion euro windfall after selling the company to the Gowan Group.

A disappointing update from British Airways left investors in subdued mood today as the London market struggled for direction.

IRISH stove manufacturer Waterford Stanley has proved a hot investment for the Aga Foodservice Group with 2005 figures boasting a turnover of €30 million.

Stove maker Aga Foodservice said today it banked record profits as more of its classic cookers were snapped up by customers from abroad.

NATIONS Cup day at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show is an occasion when decorum, protocol and social graces are much observed.

DIP into Dawna, a fine family home on one of Mallow’s top residential addresses, the Navigation Road.

THE Rectory, Kilcolman dates back to the early 1800s, to some time between 1820 to 1840, although the exact construction date is unclear.