Limerick family home full of charm and period character

IT MAY be in the county, but the city is fast coming out to meet it, which means the satellite town of Patrickswell, in Co Limerick, is all set for a raft of new developments when the infrastructure is in place.

Right now the bypass means the commute to the city can be as short as five minutes and with the spanking new Limerick racecourse on its doorstep, Patrickswell is already swelling.

Mid-way between Adare and the city, planning has already been granted for 250 homes on a 17-acre site close to the village, but with sensible planning, the area should retain its predominantly rural ambience.

Just a quarter of a mile from Patrickswell is fine residence that comes with a 4.4 acre privacy belt and is currently on the market with John O’Doherty of Roberts Auctioneers.

Glenwood is a charming property, in very good condition which comes with two major attractions. The most obvious being its detached, utterly private position in the village. The second, and possibly its major attraction, is that the 4.4 acre site adjoining the property is zoned for residential development.

Built sometime between the 1920s and 1930s, Glenwood is a good example of the domestic revival school of architecture and incorporates many features of the style. This movement’s emphasis on vernacular architecture and on the restoration of craftsmanship led to a huge renaissance in domestic design in these islands and made the English house the prominent style of the era.

Glenwood in Patrickswell has some watered down signatures of the period, including timbered gables and decorative chimney stacks and pots. And, despite being around 80 years old, the house has been well tended with substantial investments made by its present owner.

While the identity of the originator of the property is unknown, this fine residence was used as the parochial house for the parish of Partrickswell for some time.

In latter years it was the home of the O’Meara family, of Limerick Bacon Company fame, and for the last number of years it has been owned by an Italian industrialist.

Now that the family is grown, the property is no longer used to any great extent so it has been placed on the market with John O’Doherty, who gives a guideline price of 700,000 for the house and lands

Surprisingly, the house has just three bedrooms, but these are good doubles and the master bedroom is en-suite with a dressing room. A lovely old fireplace, a bay window and gable windows make this a pleasant and bright space.

The main reception rooms are decorated in classic country house style and the property is warm and sound, says O’Doherty. Much of the furniture presently in place can be offered to the new purchasers, if required, otherwise the contents will be auctioned at a later date.

Approached by a tree-lined avenue, the property has substantial road frontage, has paddocks to the rear and side with a number of old outbuildings: modern stables are away from the house.

The main entrance is via a covered, horseshoe porch with stained glass side lights on the front door. The hallway has polished wooden floors and decorated plasterwork with a staircase to the upper floors.

The main reception room is a double space of 34ft by 14ft with twin, antique fireplaces and a large bay window with side windows making this an ideal room for entertaining.

The sitting room is smallish at 15ft by 13ft and it comes with a large bay window, a marble fireplace and moulded ceilings. A small butler’s pantry comes with stain glass windows and is off the main reception room.

In continental style, the kitchen has white painted units with marble worktop and an Aga cooker: the room comes with a scullery of 10ft by 5ft, a utility of 10ft by 8ft and both rooms are fully plumbed and fitted.

The first floor landing has an offset bathroom with walk-in hot press and a separate dressing room. The main landing is a generous space with large windows overlooking the garden. All the bedrooms are accessed off this space.

At the asking price, Glenwood is an accessible purchase for a large church of potential buyers and it would be nice to think a house of this quality would remain a family home. However, with the zoning, the price could rise beyond the reach of the family home buyer.