Rare offering in a secluded area

THERE aren’t many detached houses on the market in Shanakiel - ever. Which makes the sale of Woodside House a bit of a blue moon event for selling agent, Conor Flynn of Conor P Flynn and Associates.

And, as it’s one of those quietly wealthy areas of the city, it has already had plenty of viewing interest, he says, from residential buyers and also from developers.

Directly off the Shanakiel Road, and on the Sunday’s Well end of this steep hill, the property has huge privacy, despite the taming of it’s tree-lined boundary in the past month. Set behind high stone walls, part of an old estate of which Shanakiel Hospital was the mansion house, the property is high up over Cork city on a south-facing slope.

Because of its site size and the proximity of a medical centre to the property, the 1960s house could be demolished in favour of a surgery/clinic, or even, a block of apartments.

Land is precious in this old suburb and maximising the potential of a site has already been undertaken in nearby, Lisín, where an infill scheme of apartments has been completed by local resident, developer, Gerry Calnan.

Any plans for Woodvale House, of course, will depend on Cork City council.

Bright and spacious, it comes with a large, living room of 20’ by 14’ and a kitchen/dining area of 28’ by 12’ with patio doors to the garden and a Cork stone fireplace.

The master bedroom on the first floor is an L-shaped room and two of the four bedrooms are generous doubles, with one single room. The main bathroom is also big enough for a separate shower and bath and there’s a guest WC off the hallway.

With big picture windows and a south-facing location, this family home has a guide price of €575,000.