Second serving for Woodview

Tommy Barker

The owner of Phelan's Woodview 60-seat restaurant close to the Blarney Business Park is heading to semi-retirement, hoping to cash in a few chips as his property on 1.3 acres gets put back up for sale.

It is a mile from Blarney village, three miles from Cork city and less from Blackpool, and land nearby at Killeens and Monard is coming under residential development pressure: the local authorities' own plans envisage literally thousands of new homes, to be served by a rail commuter link.

"With a number of new deals at the business park coming through and the residential plans, Woodview is suddenly in the middle of an area set for major changes and investment," say estate agents Declan Hickey and Maurice Cohalan of Cohalan Downing.

He says the property may now be bought as much for further development as for its on-going business income and potential it was ont he market a couple of years ago offered as a going concern.

Guide price is E850,000/E900,000, and apart from the 1.3 acre site it has prominence and visibility to the N20 Cork-Limerick road.

Vendors Bill and Catherine Phelans have been in situ for 18 years, back when the place seemed on the remote side, before development came out to reach it and leap-frog beyond it in the case of the business park. Previously, Bill Phelan was head chef at the Arbutus Restaurant, as well as at AIB's regional HQ at 66 South Mall.

At present the 5,000 sq ft property has a 60-seat restaurant, eight guest bedrooms seven with en suites, and private living quarters with four further bedrooms.

Details: Cohalan Downing, 021-4277717