A stable environment for a waterside development

THE spread of new housing, high land values and burgeoning demand have prompted Hop Island equestrian centre to relocate.

The period 1760s house and 2.7 acres of land in Cork’s estuarine Rochestown hold the promise of a super living environment, but it is almost a racing certainty that developers will out-bid even the most well-heeled private home hunters for the picturesque waterside site.

The centre was briefly on the market back in 1999, as owners Liam and Mary O’Driscoll sought to move the riding centre to another location, but an agreed sale at the time fell through. In the meantime, trekking routes in the area are fast disappearing and the roads are becoming too busy to cross.