Home with old-style class
Talk terraces in terms of houses, and you might be inclined to think of rows of joined homes, all in a line.
Algonquin is terraced living in a different meaning of the word: it has stone-faced terraces to its front that would remind you of an ancient fortification, along with crazy paved steps and patios.
The house Algonquin, called after a Canadian Indian tribe, was built exactly 70 years ago for the Nicholson family of wine and spirit importing connections, and was lived in for the latter few decades by a family with Beamish and Crawford brewing connections.
It does have that sort of ‘Captain of Industry’ appeal, on about an acre of very private grounds complete with large pond, lawns, stables, rockeries and mature boundaries.
Planting includes magnolia, camellias and rose beds, and the garden has plenty of hidden interest areas, with the most eye-catching feature being the stone steps which divide off a second flagged to give a second tier of interest.
Location is up on that long ridge of south facing hills a few miles east of Cork city, and when built the house was on quite a few acres of land. The original land is now colonised by a more modern home along a quiet backroad, accessed near Dunkettle and just off the main road hub serving routes to Cork city, the Jack Lynch Tunel, the Dublin and Waterford/Rosslare roads.
Algonquin is on the market with Hugh McPhilips of Marshs auctioneers, who gives it a €700,000 guide price, and who describes it as “an exceptionally choice property - or at least that’s how he coined it when he last sold this property back in 1972.
He still has a newspaper ad with picture for that 1970s sale, and today the property looks almost unchanged from the outside.
It is a solid home, and has always been maintained, but by now the original steel windows are looking understandably tired.
The vendor replaced several frames to the south side with PVC units, and at this stage a new owner is likely to continue this trend right the way around the house.
Inside, it’s simply a fine comfortably family home with a dated but comfortable feel, has five bedrooms and a sunny aspect.
Its main reception room, a 24’ by 13’ drawing room, has windows on three sides with a generous bay on the southern elevation, and the three windows are curtained with mature, almost rampant wisteria which has shinned up the exterior walls.
There’s a cosy study or family room in the middle of the house, with brick fireplace and French doors to the patio terrace.
Next across the front of the house is a dining room, again with bay window, and the spacious ground floor also has a large pantry, kitchen/breakfast room, large services room, and a guests’ closet and cloakroom.
The first floor has five bedrooms, and the main bedroom has a dressing room and an ensuite. Another bedroom, in what appears to be a later two storey addition to the house, has a large walk-in closet. The grounds include a large double garage building with workshop and three stables.
