THE quality of 10 acres of house development land, and the anchoring period home with it, has seen a sale go c €500,000 over the asking price for Midleton’s Charleston House. It’s selling for between €4 and €4.5 million, and underscores the demand for development in the east Cork commuter town.

The sale of ten acres of stunningly-set development land around the historic Charleston House, on the edge of East Cork’s Midleton at Ballinacurra, will be one to watch for future trends, and as an indicator of the state of the still dysfunctional housing market, at a time of rapidly-rising house prices.

Buffered by its manicured acres, this elegant home links Ireland’s story of barley and brewing, writes Tommy Barker.