Period home that’s right up to date

This family home near Fethard, Co Tipperary is not as old as it looks. In fact, it is a spring chicken in building terms.

Built about five years ago, the property at Sladagh, about three miles from Fethard and six from Clonmel, was constructed with longevity in mind, a sort of instant period home with gravitas. Even the dog kennel is in a matching style to the house.

The exterior is virtually all limestone, right up to the chimneys and down to the window sills, with a traditional looking dash finish with brick around the windows on one of the long side walls. The roof is old slate, and rainwater fittings such as the chutes and pipes are in cast iron.

It is newly on the market with Pat Quirke of PF Quirke and Co, who guides it at over €850,000.

There’s the level of attention to detail and materials, but also has assets like a 3.25 acre site with favourable southerly aspect, lawn tennis court, substantial raised patio reached via a rear porch or sun room, each with arched copper roofs, and a detached and lofted garage finished in stone.

And, there’s a gravel drive planted with lime trees, and that classic, slender cast iron estate railing edging, with views to the south of the Comeraghs, with Slievenamon to the east.

There’s lots of different touches inside too, such a dining hall with tall, vaulted ceilings over 20’ high, with mezzanine library, the dining room is over 800 sq ft in size, the living room has a priory-style sandstone fireplace and 10’ ceilings.

Then, there’s the kitchen: it has an island unit, and also has those must-have cookers, a four oven Aga backed up by a Smeg oven in a brick alcove (the Smeg brand is now so strong it is parodied in the new Wallace and Gromit movie, where the camera pans past a tall American style fridge bearing the name Smug.)

There are not one, but two main bedroom suites, each with dressing room and ensuites with Drench power showers, and three other double size rooms plus main bathroom with claw-foot cast iron bath.

In addition, there’s a utility with cloakroom, and oak floors feature in many of the rooms.