Your chance to buy a slice of local history with Red Abbey townhouse

HISTORY is on the doorstep of 19, Red Abbey in Cork’s historic south parish.

The 19th century three-storey townhouse is on part of the site of the middle ages’ Augustinian friary, which once occupied two acres of ground just off the River Lee’s south channel.

The 13th century friary’s boundary was enclosed by Dunbar Street, Margaret Street and Douglas Street and included chapels, cloister, a number of rooms, cellars and even a small orchard.

It served for a time as a watch tower and as a barracks, and in the 1700s was the centre of a sugar refinery run by a Huguenot family. A disastrous fire broken out at the turn of the century in 1799, gutting the majority of the original friary, leaving just the 64’ tower standing.

That long-standing tower is now the next door neighbour of 19 Red Abbey Street, which is on the market with a €300,000 price guide quoted by Frances O’Brien of Andrew Moore and Co auctioneers. It is under early offers, she says, and the location is close to a number of new small businesses opened in the area, and Cork City Council has recently completed the re-paving of the old friary chapel footprint as an open amenity area.

In need of spending and upgrading, it is quite a unique property in a historic setting and could make a fine 2005 Capital of Culture conservation project, the estate agent ventures.

South facing, and probably taller than many of its neighbours, it has old sash windows, original banisters, high ceilings, and up to five bedrooms.

Viewing to date is mostly from investors, says Frances O’Brien, but it could also make an ideal project for an enthusiast looking to live in the old inner city setting - and possibly even to work from the same building they live in, as the South Mall is only a hundred or two yards away.

There’s a high-walled yard to the back, with the towering limestone Red Abbey structure as a sort of garden feature/view.

There’s a ground floor hall, sitting room and kitchen, two first floor bedrooms plus bathroom, and three more bedrooms on the top floor, and the place has gas central heating.