Greenawn has hidden beauty in charming family home

IT JUST doesn’t photograph well: Greenawn is one of those houses that hides its light under a bushel, and its size and scale under bushes and greenery.

This large family home, on Cork’s Church Hill in Glanmire, runs to 3,600 sq ft, but short of a satellite image you won’t get to appreciate this by looking at exterior images of its split levels.

Dragging out that hoary old auctioneering chestnut, “viewing is essential to fully appreciate,” Jarlath Boyd of Hamilton Osborne King says “you really have to visit it to see just how good it all is, and how stunning the views are.” See, that’s the problem with cliches, they sometimes leave a sentence all run out of steam.

But, take him at his word, and you will find the expression still has some currency, especially if your own currency runs to €1.5 million for a fine 3,600 sq ft home, on an elevated acre, in top-notch condition. An optional extra buy is a two-bed two-storey cottage by the roadside entrance, separately guided at €300,000, which might round out the package further for the better-heeled.

Greenawn (presumably an anglicisation of Grianan) has views from both the main house and gardens over woodland to Glanmire estuary and towards Cork harbour and Lough Mahon, and the grounds are extremely well kept and planted, with shrubs, trees and flowers, along with patio areas, steps, and lawns.

The house is split level with accommodation over three levels, and has five bedrooms, one en suite, and two other bathrooms, and a study/living room near the bedrooms quarters.

Family living accommodation proper includes an extremely large kitchen/dining with living area, measuring 35’ by 15’, with a kitchen by Home Grown Kitchens with feature bog oak, granite worktops, island unit, Belfast sink and some Kilkenny marble, with a fireplace off, and garden access via French doors.

Other space, of which there is plenty, includes outer and inner halls, large drawing room with garden/patio access, dining room, with access to the gardens, guest bathroom and there’s a carport.