Huguenot in need of hugs
WITH few properties coming on the market in the weeks running up to the election, the tide is now starting to turn. It’s beginning to look like those who’ve waited up to this, have waited long enough. There could even be a flood of homes on the property ballot sheet between now and the school holidays.
And to prove a point, a very distinguished residence at Lissarda in Co Cork is a new entry at just under 1 million. De La Cour Villa, a couple of miles outside Macroom on the Kilmurray side, is a very unusual property. It was probably built between 1750 and 1760 by the De La Cour family on the site of a former, O’Mahony stronghold and the property came into the Beamish family hands through marriage.
According to selling agent, Joe Carey of Remax, the villa reflects the French Baronial style, influenced by the French Huguenot De La Cours, who came to Lissarda from Mallow. The property was purchased by the O’Driscoll family in 1898 and then sold to the present owners, the O’Callaghans in the 1980s
Now, it is considerably faded but the grounds surrounding the house, (it comes with 3.5 lush acres) are superb and the house is positioned at the high point of the site. Access is off the Kilmurray road and the main Cork/Macroom road, and there is a long driveway snaking its way up to the house. The original property is a red sandstone, four-bay house over three storeys with two wing additions at either side. The entrance is at the side and rear of the property.
And it’s high — the view from the living room is right above the tree tops and over the Lee Valley to Poulanargid. Lime green fields and runs of whitethorn ditches show the country up at its most beautiful now and in the foreground the pink blossom of a horse chestnut and the lipstick red of a flame tree, add flamboyance.
This is the home of a plant-lover and while the house has been abandoned in favour of a snugger, downsized bungalow, the garden hasn’t. The lawn is mown, the beds are neat and the grounds have a great collection of shrubs, herbaceous perennials and some big old trees, in particular, an enormous monkey puzzle.
The villa is shrouded by trees and while they provide sylvan shade, some should go in favour of opening up the western side of the property.
Built on to rock, (the basement has a spill of sandstone running out from under the back wall) the house is solid and sound. However, anyone buying in here at the reasonable guide (in excess of 950,000) needs to remember that that’s only a starting point. To make a really decent job of this seven-bed property, you could throw the same amount again into revamping and modernising it The reward, though, would be a stylish, period property in wonderful surroundings that’s just a mile off the main road. Swift access to the city is a handy extra and there’s Macroom and Ballincollig for shopping at either end of the Killarney road.
In terms of current offerings, De La Cour villa is a good one. Only The reward, though, would be a stylish, period property in wonderful surroundings that’s just a mile off the main road. Swift access to the city is a handy extra and there’s Macroom and Ballincollig for shopping at either end of the Killarney road.
Only four families have lived here in 250 years, four families have lived here in 250 years, which says something about the hold it has had on its occupants. It requires a sympathetic owner, with equal tenacity to take it on.
