Kilcondy Hill home right for aspiring country squire

HAVING a Haughey moment? Then this house at Kilcondy, Crookstown might be just the job for that jodhpurs and gee-gees urge.

And while the address might say Crookstown, Tig na bhFear is just off the N22 at Lissarda and a mere zip to Cork City.

Up near the top of Kilcondy Hill, the surrounding countryside is Constablesque with its rolling hills and stands of giant beech and oak.

And the area has more than its fair share of old country houses - after all, it’s prime farmland.

Translated as the House of the Beech Trees, this modern house stands high on a bluff overlooking its own eight acres of land and the green countryside around. It’s set at the end of a manicured driveway and has immediate impact.

It’s a modern house for modern living and will wear well, because its mass is broken up in gables and its look is ageless.

Paddock fencing is everywhere and where it isn’t, like the big top field, there are old, tree lined ditches where, on the high ground, the views go overland to Kilmurry. A big mound of waste ground on the further end of the back paddock is just waiting for a gardener to transform it into a little woodland.

And down towards the road, there’s another field which is glossy green in the late summer sunshine, thanks to re seeding.

The driveway is fully planted and bark mulched, and more importantly, is fully lit and railed all the way up to a wide gravelled forecourt which sweeps around a landscaped island to the double garage at the rear of the house. Automatic doors are part of the package and the main gates have keypad access.

The residence has a wealth of reception space and patio areas galore with a big square deck off the kitchen and sunroom.

The formal living room runs back to front, with windows on three sides, and the family room runs into the south-facing sunroom with the kitchen behind. This is fitted in alder with stainless steel kick plate and splashback and the light switches are in chrome. The utility is almost as big and leads out to another patio area at the back.

The main staircase is hand built in red oak and curves upwards to a wide landing with five bedrooms and a main bathroom: two room are ensuite.

Tig na bhFear is just on the market and already, viewings have been heavy, says Bridget Colbert of Collins O’Meara Auctioneers, Fermoy. She’s hugely enthusiastic about this property which she says is already enticing buyers from Cork and Macroom.

The guide price is in excess of €850,000, which, considering the instant accessibility, the quality of the presentation and all that land, is good value.