A splendid reminder of our heritage

CRAGLEIGH House in Ennis Co Clare is very much a relic of old decency. A manageable period property, it dates back to the Queen period, in part, and is surrounded by over 14 acres of grounds in a location less than three miles from Ennis town.

The contradiction between Ireland’s information age town and this lovely old building says it all - we’ve come a long way in the last 10 years, but we still have our heritage.

Long the home of a well-known professional family, the Houlihan’s, Cragleigh has been in continuous occupation for centuries and each generation has made their own contribution.

The present facade, set at the end of a leafy driveway with imposing entrance gates, is a 19th century addition built in front of the Queen Anne portion.

Then there was a seventies wing added at the left hand side with a bowed, flat-roof extension that speaks of architectural design.

So in a sense, Cragleigh shows that houses are for people, and while posterity matters, each new generation creates their own conditions which saves our built heritage and ensures its continuity.

According to David Costelloe of Costelloe Estate Agents, Ennis, Clare doesn’t have a large amount of grand, old country houses. Properties such as Cragleigh, so close to the town and with a generous privacy belt are rare indeed he says and he’s very enthusiastic about the sale.

Ideally, agent and vendor would love to see the house remain a family home but failing that, the property would be an ideal country house hotel, he says, or else a private nursing home or educational facility, going down the list of possible uses.

At the moment Mr Costelloe is giving a rough guide price of between €800,000 to 1m for the property, but because of the rarity of the house he is unsure what to expect: a bidding war could push the price upwards.

And, he says, it’s excellent value at that, considering the sound structural and decorative condition here, he says.

Covering over 4,000 square feet of space, Cragleigh is the sort of cosy, faded chintz and oil-paintings property semi-detached owners dream about.

Shelves of books, big old slate and marble fireplaces and large, high-ceiling reception rooms are all here.

The huge kitchen has a Rayburn and there’s six bedrooms as well as a study, two formal reception rooms, a lounge and a number of bathrooms and ancillary rooms. Also, the property has a cut stone coach house and an adjoining stone building with keystone archway as well as a garage and other outbuildings.

The grounds are an important part of the house, says David Costelloe, surrounded by big, old trees and with a one acre walled-in garden, the majority of its 14 acres is laid out stud railed paddocks. However, there is a large amount of ground given over to mature herbaceous and perennial beds, interspersed with gravel walkways and occasional garden furniture. Cragleigh may have been adjusted in various periods, but respect for the work that went before means lots of period features remain.

The doorway with its arched fanlight and sidelights is beautiful, in an understated way and the lovely Wyatt windows to the front of the house have not been torn out in favour of plastic.

Internal plasterwork and fresh, white panelled doors remain, as does the feeling of a warm, family home.