Barrymore is impressive

HOUSE proud is rather an old-fashioned term now — it conjures up images of aprons and dusters, carbolic and Brasso, lavender polish and lino.

Today's version has a more concrete, if you pardon the pun, application. It's all about adding on, putting in/taking out and amending.

Barrymore Court in Glanmire seems to have been infected by some house-proud virus each and every one of the houses has been improved in some manner. One outstanding example involves a hugely architectural front porch onto what was a gable-end facing dormer it really is fabulous.

The estate has a mix of two-storey and dormer house in the upper end of the scale in a quiet, (now that the Dublin road has gone elsewhere) and safe location.

Number 46 Barrymore Court was built by its owner on one of the last sites in the estate some seven years ago and is a stout, five bedroomed house with a number of unusual extras.

While it has a red brick exterior, mellow antique brick is used a lot in the kitchen and attached sunroom. Also, there's a separate entrance at the rear to another road and to the left of the back garden is a huge gym built to residential standards. This means the house could provide an independent surgery, office or study for someone looking to work from home, without disturbing family life.

The main living room is very large and runs in an open plan into the sunroom. The main hallway is a wide space with guest loo and to the right is a family room which could double as a fifth bedroom.

The kitchen is fully fitted in antique pine and has a handy breakfast bar, and decent, high dresser on one wall which is included in the sale.

The charm of this house is that nothing really has to be done. Everything that needs to be fitted is fitted and the back garden is immaculate and easy to keep.

Michael Downey of ERA Downey McCarthy Murphy is in charge of the sale and has given a guide price of €420,000 for this substantial property which was withdrawn from market last year and has been re-launched.