Exclusive privacy among hill and dale

THE GLASHABOY river rises in the foothills of the Nagle Mountains and makes it’s way south to Glanmire via Sallybrook, the aptly named townland.

On its way, it bounds one and a half acres of land which has now come on the market carrying a €850,000-plus price-tag.

Auctioneer Maurice Cohalan, of Cohalan Dowling and Associates, is in charge of the sale of this prime house and site and says it should attract buyers looking for privacy and exclusivity close to the city.

The detached, ’70s-built dwelling is set at the high point of an undulating site that includes a number of disparate areas.

Native trees and new plantings are blended together and at the entrance point the grounds dip onto a level glade bounded by the Glashaboy, where you can swim and fish off the banks.

This dingly dell is certain to woo visitors, but the massive shed/warehouse at this level will also give an indication of how large the site is - it’s as big as a house and, for a multi-generational family, could perhaps attain planning permission for a second house.

Right across the road, ground work has begun on eight serviced top-end sites, although these certainly won’t intrude on this property’s privacy.

This unpretentious house packs a good bit of space under its roof.

There’s a separate one-bedroomed flat on the right hand side and the rest of the house offers four-bedroomed accommodation, with a range of living rooms.

The kitchen is new and very well fitted in Shaker style although parts of the house will need an upgrade - unless you’re a buyer with a penchant for retro chic - up to, and including, turquoise bathrooms.

Facing south and with wide, picture windows, this is a bright and warm house which to a design by architect Pat Whelen.

The house’s brick facade and cedar cladding is of its time - the Melbourne estate in Bishopstown has a similar look.

The sale includes a tennis court, which is at a lower level to the house, and then the ground drops down via the long driveway to the warehouse/shed, and then climbs again to the boreen entrance.

Unusual and very attractive, this property is primed to take advantage of the shift eastwards now that the infrastructure is in place for commuters.

The rise in high-value homes and sites in the Glanmire area should also help: last year, Wilderness, a bungalow on large grounds, sold for €900,000 through HOK and this was followed by the €1.8 million sale of Mount Patrick by Lisney.

Houses at Cois Chuain, an upmarket scheme in nearby Glounthaune, are making resale values in excess of €800,000 and Cohalan Downing are also selling Roskeen, in Glounthaune for €730,000.