Completely bowled over by a tourist town treasure

Rose Martin admires a new home in an historic Kinsale setting.

THE trouble with old houses is that they need a lot of upkeep. The upside is that they usually reward the investment with character and charm.

Now, what if you have a new house with all the character of the old and, better still, set in an historic location? 2 Bowling Green fits that bill.

It’s a new build, but you’d hardly know it, and it’s set at the end of an 18th century row in Kinsale.

Built in the former yard of No 1, and with access from the Bowling Green (more of which later), this three-storey property hasn’t gone all the way to pastiche, however.

It’s a pragmatic mix of old and new that provides the Georgian look, but not the massive upkeep, so windows are PVC and the roof is modern slate.

And, even though it’s terraced, there is side access from the Bowling Green and parking.

A five minute walk down St John’s Hill will bring you to the town, now just finished its Arts Week, and the marina.

No 2 is a perfect pied-a-terre whose modest exterior belies the flamboyant interior. Arty, in a word. The ground floor is the darkest space in this house, as taller buildings create a shadow, so to make the most of the location the bedrooms are at this level.

The rooms at the rear face south/ south-west, and there are French doors from the master bedroom to a small yard outside.

The entrance hallway is quite impressive, tiled in black and white and, with one signature marble piece, there is a very French feel to the generous, square space. The staircase rises to the left hand side, and on the right is a double bedroom, with en suite master and a third bedroom to the rear. A bathroom is just off a small rear corridor. All of the rooms are painted white, with recessed lighting and white washed, deal floors.

Beds are the big, solid pine variety, again, painted white with bold splashes of colour ringing the changes in each room. The master bedroom also has a wallpaper backdrop on one wall and sliding mirrored robes on the other.

Next floor up is a cutaway landing with an eye-catching wall frieze made of wavy mirror tiles. Bright paintings add to the effect.

On the opposite side is the kitchen niche, fitted into a corner of the large, open-plan living room, but invisible from the living area.

The white theme is continued, but this time with steel highlights and grey painted chairs around the white dining table. Lime-washed floors run from back to front, and a central fireplace breaks the space. Furniture is cream with azure highlights and the sofa has a fur throw.

Double doors at the southern end lead onto a sunny, decked terrace, fully kitted out with tables, chairs and umbrella, and a fire stairs leads downwards to the yard. In one corner a spiral staircase leads up the final floor — the entertainment room. With a bar at one end — traditional fittings taken into a new realm with white paint — this is subtly ironic and way beyond the Duckworths. Then, there’s a wraparound sofa facing the blank wall of the gable, which handily, doubles as a projection screen. Look close at the coffee table and you’ll see the train set.

Velux windows light the space and there are sea views if you crane your neck outwards: these could be changed to cabriolet windows, subject to planning.

This individualistic property is good value, by Kinsale standards, especially when the location and 2,000 square feet of space are taken into account. It’s on the market for offers in the region of €950,000, with Pacelli Nolan of SWS Property Services and joint agents, Sheehy Brothers.

There is public parking right next door in Bowling Green, but title to the green and the hard standing area is no longer in the hands of the council as the lease has expired. There have been protracted negotiations with the title-holders to purchase the freehold, but in the last two months a stalemate has existed.