Sale of the century-old cottage

THE simple, pretty exterior of this cottage in Tower belies its spacious accommodation; it has three bedrooms, one of them a master bedroom that occupies the top floor.

The cottage was originally single-storey, built by Cork County Council in 1912 as part of a model housing scheme around the Hydro Estate, near Blarney.

Each house, designed as three rooms around a central living space, had an acre of land. This cottage has been enlarged, is semi-detached and comfortable, within walking distance of Tower and driving distance of Blarney.

Tower has expanded in the last ten years into a satellite village for Cork city. The increase in new houses has led to improved amenities.

Priced at €250,000, through the selling agent Gerard O’Dea of Cohalan Downing and Associates, the cottage is not cheap, nor is it conventional but there is appeal in this for buyers who prioritise a home with character and maturity.

That’s not to say the house has not been maintained, or is lacking in modern conveniences. It was recently renovated at some cost.

The interior is pristine, the layout sensible. At the rear, a new kitchen has been fitted, with a central island and overhead pot-hanger.

The small vestibule off the entrance doorway leads to the main living room, which has a high, plastered ceiling. In one corner, the enclosed staircase leads to the master bedroom which occupies the second-floor.

The centre point of the living room is a simple, wide fire breast with a raised hearth.

On either side of the fireplace is a door; one leads to the study, the other to a utility room. Facing the front entrance are the doors to the kitchen and ground-floor bedrooms. The study has a high, timber-sheeted ceiling, with recessed lighting, and a phone line: it also has a bedroom-sized, cast iron fireplace.

The main bathroom, which has a corner bath, a separate shower and attractive lighting, is accessed by a slate corridor, to the rear.

The bathroom’s decor is simple. It has a grey, tiled floor and tiled, white walls. A reproduction mahogany corner unit has been given a distressed look, in cream, which transforms an ordinary piece into a French-style cabinet.

The kitchen, from where an archway leads to the dining room, is fitted in shaker beech.

Both the kitchen and dining room have windows overlooking the garden. This space is bounded at the rear by Muskerry Golf Club so development around the house is not likely. Both ground-floor bedrooms are comfortable and have double beds, but are not as impressive as the master bedroom which has large Velux windows providing views as far as Blarney Castle. The room is laid out between a bank of fitted wardrobes at one end and an en-suite bathroom at the other. Decorated in muted tones, the master bedroom’s position as the only living space on the second-floor guarantees privacy.

The house is within walking distance of a golf club, supermarket and pubs.