A country-style cottage with character in the heart of the city

SMALL parcel, but great goods - the city cottage Ivyleaf is a little bit of a head-turner. In fact, thanks to its high ceilings inside and its feature exposed beams, you can crane your neck as you turn your head all the way around.

Despite appearances, Ivyleaf is a brand-new build, but one done using lots of salvage materials, such as timbers and brick. The end result is character, but not corny.

The bungalow/cottage is at Carrigview, just off the Old Blackrock Road, opposite the South Infirmary Hospital, a five-minute walk to and from City Hall.

Developed and built by members of the Linehan family, it features their trademark attention to detail and build quality, as well as decent heft of materials (the hands-on builder Niall Linehan just recently completed the rebuilding of the Church Restaurant in Skibbereen, gutted after an arson attack, and it is trading like hot cakes, he says.) It has 750 sq ft of space, with two ground floor bedrooms, and an overhead study/mezzanine area.

In fact, the developers built two fairly identical cottages here on the urban in-fill site at Carrigview, behind remote controlled gates, but just one so far is offered for sale.

Selling agent is Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy & Co auctioneers, who guides Ivyleaf at €325,000, and who says it is really going to suit a buyer or couple looking for one of the handiest living locations, within walking distance of a huge range of services and amenities.

The main living area is 20’ by 16’, with high, vaulted ceiling and sturdy beams, and pride of place here goes to a sold fuel stove set into a lofty brick chimney.

Kitchen units are painted timber, with polished stone worktops, and light flows in from overhead Veluxes in the wood-sheeted ceiling. There’s also two bedrooms, one 14’ by 10’, the other 10’ square, and the house has gas central heating and high insulation standards. Meanwhile, The same selling agent now seeks offers around €140,000 for each of the last of a handful of terraced fixer-uppers at Clermont Cottages, Douglas. They are c 500 sq ft one-beds, needing modernisation and which launched for sale in October 2007 at around €200,000 each.