It’s not very often that you get a home of this size and quality near Douglas, and mere minutes from Cork city centre. Tommy Barker admires the perfectly up-to-date Lisheen, a fine large home sitting pretty on over 0.6 of an acre in leafy Woodview

The last re-sale of a Bellair Estate home, right on the main Douglas Road in Cork, was to a Munster rugby club player. 

THERE’S been a steady run of sales in Cork’s unusually named Pic du Jer, a network estate of semi-ds built in the mid 1900s in Ballinlough: it’s called after a high, 1,000m peak called Pic du Jer on the edge of Lourdes in France, which can be summited by a 100 year old funicular rail carriage.

“A grand, solid block of a house” — so says Hugh McPhillips of Marshs auctioneers, seeing straight to the good points of the suburban four-bedroomed 11 Bellair Estate. 

The last chance to hit the dance floor at a hotel that hosted top political figures in Irish history takes place this weekend, as the new owner sells off its contents.

There’s an appeal to home hunters either end of a long spectrum, at the end of a short terrace, at Cork city’s Shanakiel suburb by the 1870’s Gothic revival church St Mary’s.

Tommy Barker sizes up two semis of differing sizes in the same location near Douglas village.

Almost an oddity in its location, and a rarity too, is the triangular-shaped Loreto House, off Cork city’s Magazine Road.

There’s something pleasantly self-contained about a cluster of houses at the core of Lima Lawn, an estate of mostly semi-detached homes between Cork city’s Magazine Road and Glasheen Road.

It’s been a while since a house in Cork’s Knockrea or Woolhara Parks have come to market - certainly not since the upper end of the market began its climb back out of the doldrums of the last seven years.

Elaborate, underfoot tile mosaic is composed of marble and polished agate in colourful, 1,700 sq ft stone building, says Tommy Barker.

Turners Cross, Cork €240,000

Woodwards will offer a large stamp collection on November 30 in Cork city.

We view a selection of trading up homes from around the country.

This four-bed semi in Loretto Park defies expectations, writes Tommy Barker

This Regency Carlton House Desk made 85,000 at Mealy's-Christie's sale in Mount Congreve.

THERE’S huge originality to play with at 4 Pinewood, a century-old home on Cork’s main Douglas Road — within a skip of the city centre, and with a private, long back garden.

VICTORIA ROAD, CORK €265,000

The date was Sunday, February 27, 1898, the venue was Cork’s famous suburban lake at The Lough and the top prize was a second-hand bike with golden ball bearings.

No 7 Belgrave Avenue in the heart of Cork’s St Luke’s is a model conversion sure to attract big interest, Tommy Barker reports

Clondrohid, Macroom €270,000

THE previously extended, four-bed semi-d at ‘Cherrygrove’, 6, The Rise on the edge of Cork’s Bishopstown has an asking price of €390,000.

IS it sexist now to describe Ballintubber Lodge as ‘a Gentleman’s Residence?’ Let an enterprising woman come to the fore, then, and change the auctioneer’s historically redolent description of this country home, newly up for sale.

Above St Luke’s Cross, Cork, Iveragh manages to be both large and quite graceful.

FOR those who had prepared themselves to live in the promised brave, new shiny world of Cork’s docklands, but now find the time schedule somewhat elongated thanks to an economic, construction, and property meltdown, perhaps the best way forward to that future is via the past.

IT’S a proper family home on a corner site on Cork city’s College Road and now Brier Holme is reduced to sell.

WAY, way more grounds, for way, way less cash, are now offered at the big family home Gleann Alainn, at Kilcoolishal, Glanmire, just east of Cork city.

FRONT row, or back row? Two similar suburban homes, in the same well-regarded estate, hit the market in the same week with agents Marshs and Property Team O’Sullivan.

IT is one of the biggest price drops around: €5 million, down to €2.2 million.

MEDICS, nuns and academics dominate as occupants of some of the finer houses along Cork’s College Road, so who’ll be the next in line for 2, Brookfield Villas?

THE railway never reached up the Glounthane hill to Kilcoolishal, or the fine family home Glean Alainn, but bits of it now grace this house and grounds.

NUMBER 2 Willow Court, Cross Douglas Road, fills a number of criteria: it’s perfect for downsizers or first-timers, it’s a walk to town and it’s in a good area.

TWO Douglas semis-ds, in strong selling locations, have added extras in their back gardens, as the autumn selling seasons slows further.

Tommy Barker visits a very modern villa in Cork’s genteel Montenotte.

A Georgian gem in Cork will please a discerning buyer, says Tommy Barker.

YOU’LL need to put on a bit of a push to bring Hillside, on Cork’s Boreenmanna Road, fully up to speed, but it’ll be worth it.

CORK doesn’t have a Meat Packing District (unless you count Lunham’s), never mind a Soho or Tribeca.

THE city has crept in around Parkhurst, but this has been happening for a century and more, and it hasn’t bothered it yet.

HOUSES in Cork’s Marble Hall Park used to only rarely crop up for sale.

Tommy Barker says Yew Lodge is a big home that whispers discretion.