Join the village people

VILLAGE life beckons at Tulira, in mid-Cork’s Crookstown — a bus ride from the city centre, but a world away from the hustle and bustle.

The eight-year-old home is in the heart of Crookstown village just off the N22 Cork-Macroom road. Its vendors came here, via Dripsey, after 11 years living in London and Dublin "but it never felt too rural or isolated, it is so close to everything," they say.

The new Ballincollig bypass is 10 minutes away, and Bandon and Macroom are also within easy striking distance the latter town is just five to ten minutes by car. Crookstown has two pubs, two shops and a post office, and nearby Lissarda has a new shop/filling station and a rejuvenated roadhouse bar as well.

The owners bought Tulira (named after the Tulira estate and castle in Ardrahan, Galway) from its architect owner when it was almost new and have colonised and improved on it in the interim. Now, with three children, they are set to trade up from this 1,400 sq ft three-bed detached house on a private half acre site, and have bought a larger home in a seaside village instead.

Tulira is on the market with estate agent Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald in Cork city, guided at €395,000-plus. She says it is going to have a huge appeal for couples and small families looking for a home with a bit of distinction to it.

Architect-designed, it has the imprint of home with thoughtful design touches and is bright, with some double height spaces and voids adding to the impression of space.

For instance, the entrance hallway has a galleried landing, and the sun room has a pitched ceiling and features a semi-circle window over its gable end French doors.

Although windows throughout are white PVC, the glazing look in this sun room is enhanced thanks to the clever use of wood sections between the frames, giving a rich honeyed hue to the space.

This sun room links back in to a 17' by 12' living room, with open fireplace. There is also a galley style kitchen with painted wood units and lots of windows with garden views, with utility and garden access beyond.

This timber-frame house has a ground level ensuite main bedroom, and upstairs are two more bedrooms, with veluxes and dormers, with a bathroom between them.

Tulira is within the village, on a sloping half acre site which has been made split level. There's also a fine mature Scots Pine tree down at the fan-shaped garden's end.