A home in a desirable part of Cork exceeded price expectations last time it sold, and has been upgraded since then, writes Tommy Barker.

BALLINTEMPLE locations don’t get much more central than that enjoyed at the charmingly-titled Homelea – facing directly onto the Blackrock Road, it’s in the heart of everything in this southside Cork suburban location, and has been in the same family’s hands for over 50 years.

PROUDLY decked out in green, and set in the tiers of stacked housing rising up above the River Lee in Cork’s Tivoli, is Villa Franca.

City living convenience? It hardly gets any better than Cork’s Marina Park, at the city end (or, the very start) of the Blackrock Road at its Victoria Road nexus.

Hola. I have started going out with this Irish guy at work, he is very nice. The only problem is, his breath smells so bad that his friends call him Carrigaline. (I didn’t understand this at first. Then I went to  Carrigaline.)

Silence is goal-den says Tommy Barker

An investigation has been launched into a suspected pollution incident in Cork city’s Atlantic Pond, which is an important breeding ground for grey herons.

Your home viewing entertainment wrap for the week ahead, with Des O’Driscoll.

It tested the patience of residents and the resilience of traders but the trade-off for Blackrock village after months of inconvenience is a €2m facelift, to be officially unveiled today.

Demolition work gets under way today to pave the way for a vast new riverside public sports, adventure, and ecology park, which will wrap around Cork’s regenerated flagship GAA stadium.

Tucked away in a cul-de-sac off the ever-popular Blackrock Road, No 1 Sunnyside in Barrington’s Avenue is a recently modernised end-of-terrace two-bed house.  

The name of this house along Cork city’s lovely and leafy Marina promenade works on two levels. 

A turtle has been caught on camera making a break for it in Cork city.

A turtle has been caught on camera making a break for it in Cork city.

In hindsight, the name Phoenix House has proven particularly apt: rising from the crash, Cork’s €20m-plus Phoenix House third generation office building a mile from City Hall has secured its first, sizeable tenant, Regus — almost 10 years after it was built.

The cheeriest thing about No 6, Birchgrove, is its dark-pink/red colour. 

The summer of 1990 is fondly recalled in Ireland by those of a certain age, and especially so in Cork.

Tommy Barker reports on a recent arrival in an old Cork city suburb.

The views from 69 Maryville, a semi-detached bungalow in Cork’s suburban Ballintemple are currently undergoing a bit of an upheaval.

’5km Colour Dash’ in aid of the Irish Cancer Society at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday 28th June 2015.

Tommy Barker revisits ‘Arundel’ 10 years since it was last on the market and witnesses an utter transformation.

There’s always a cachet to the Blackrock Road address of Menloe Gardens — and, it’s been a few years since a house came up for sale here.

It won’t take much extra work to put a more modern shine of the grandly-titled Lavanagh House, a four-bedroomed, single storey bungalow directly opposite the Lavanagh Centre/Enable Ireland in Cork city’s Ballintemple.

Blackrock, Cork €625,000

A RIVER flowing through a town should, you might expect, be seen as an advantage — not only for its beauty and environmental value, but also for very practical reasons.

Location: Marina, Blackrock

A judge has described a victim impact statement warning of the dangers of social media by a 13-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted by a 25-year-old man he met on Facebook as the most eloquent he had ever heard.

They never come back, according to boxing lore.

They’re normally running the numbers and crunching statistics. But they were pounding the pavements yesterday to raise money for a homeless charity.

Plans for a super-park in Cork City will be unveiled to the public next week.

Heritage group An Taisce has urged Cork City Council to ensure a public park is not split in two by a new GAA facility.

What with the bird song, and the tolling of a nearby church bell as the solitary background sounds, you could well be in the midst of the countryside at this dormer bungalow called Cluthar.

The owner of No 70, Maryville may have a bit of a quandry: stay put in her all-done up Ballintemple home and listen — for free — to Bruce Springsteen’s summer 2013 Cork gig in Páirc Uí Chaoimh just 200 yards away, or sell up, and splash some of the sale proceeds on a couple of the Boss’s tickets?

Plans for a massive public park in Cork city to rival Dublin’s Phoenix Park have been unveiled.

There’s a lot more to this Cork suburban home than first impressions would suggest, Tommy Barker reports

€2 tasters for the month of June

One of Ireland’s largest maritime festivals kicks off in Cork tonight marking the start of a bumper bank holiday weekend of water and land-based activity.

Residents fighting GAA plans they claim will split a huge public park due to be developed in Cork will voice their concerns this evening with the designers behind the multimillion-euro park project.

Blackrock, Cork €450,000