Rare gem on ample grounds

Rose Martin visits a trophy home with an irresistibly attractive price tag.

ONE of the first trophy houses in Cork to hit the market this year also comes with a realistic price tag —€795,000, compared to the €1.3 million or so it would have been two years ago.

And despite the drop for the owner/vendors, there’s a comfort in knowing that this study 1960s home in Glanmire, Co Cork, won’t be demolished in favour of townhouses set cheek by jowl on its acre site.

Large sites are a luxury, yes, but on the rim of the city, they make sense and should be preserved for the greenness they provide.

After all, deer graze next door to this house on Barnavara Hill and its type of large garden is now the last preserve of wild life chased off farmland by paddocking and land clearance.

So the luxury in this buy is not so much the house but the grounds as well.

The property has an elevated, but sheltered acre of lawns, trees, beds, stone walls and patios and wrapped up in a mature and unpretentious setting.

You’re minutes from the city here and yet it’s a tranquil neighbourhood, with a backdrop that changes through the seasons.

The house is basically rectangular and runs east to west with all of the rooms facing south with a rectangle of hallway taken out of the northern side to create internal access.

A projecting gable provides a sunny morning room on the eastern side and this sitting room of 15’ by 12’ sits next to the cosy kitchen which faces full south.

Fitted with old pine units, painted in faded jade, the space is warmed by a cream Aga which sits on the north wall.

Flooring is in old oak, but with a light hue and the room is big enough to fit a kitchen table.

Unusually, and like the rest of the house, the walls are papered in a soft, faded cream. Worktops are in granite and there’s a door to the living/dining room and another to the main hallway.

Running along the south-western side of the house, the living room is 26’ by 15’ and is finished on the western wall with an antique marble fireplace, while at the other end, there’s an antique dining suite set overlooking the patio and garden.

Further up, there are French doors leading outdoors, and the entire area is floored in lush wool with soft, Zofany wallpaper.

A simple, enclosed staircase leads to the upper floor where the master bedroom takes up the eastern wing of the house and includes an en suite bathroom and dressing room.

Again, because of its elevated position and picture windows, this is a very bright room. Access to what could be a great roof terrace and viewing spot is another good selling point.

The other two bedrooms are both en suite, (one has the benefit of the main bathroom) and the look follows the ground floor, with warm carpets and soft wallpaper. There aren’t any fashion forward trends here, just simple classic fittings that won’t offend and will stand the test of time.

The style reflects and respects the house’s vintage and also, creates a relaxed, family home.

Outside, the gardens have a high boundary of Thuja and deciduous trees to a depth of many feet making the site extremely private.

Extras include a granny flat divided into two rooms and with separate access that could provide a home office or surgery, as well as a covered yard/store connected to the utility room.

A dog house and run are tucked away in one corner of the garden, providing the final piece of the family home jigsaw. This house has it all on offer.

Robert Harkin of Countrywide Homes is the selling agent.