Riverside town centre setting part of the attraction of Fuller’s Folly

FANCY a folly for keeps?

Dating back to the 1870s, the three-storey limestone-built tower or castle shape backing into the original and now restored Desmond castle in the prosperous Co Limerick town is a new market arrival, at a sub-€300,000 price. In fact, the guide is just €290,000 via Colm O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan.

In good overall condition, built of cut stone with some Gothic elements and topped by a pitched slate roof, it could suit commercial or even residential uses, and is being vacated by an architect design firm.

Its setting right by the River Arra gives it a high profile, ideal for a business, boutique, tourism or café use, and with 1,290 sq ft of space (but that’s over three floors) could also make a quirky private home for some Rapunzel wannabe.

Apart from the tower’s footprint, there’s no extra site or garden, but there is at least off-street parking.

Its history shows it was built after 1867 when Cork linen merchant William Fuller Hartnett acquired a plot of land adjacent to the Desmond castle grounds from the Earl of Devon, and built this castellated building known since as Fullers Folly. It reportedly cost an average of £1 per stone, and left him stoney broke. It and the main adjoining castle, open to visitors and run by the OPW, are among the main historic features of the town which got its name from the Desmond and preceding Knight Templar (1180AD) castles.

“It is a very pleasant landmark from the road and is admired by all passing traffic as it is in full view from the N21,” say Mr O’Donovan of the Bridge Street folly.

He says it was affected by the August 1, 2008, floods when the Arra river alongside rampaged through the area: remedial works to alleviate flooding have since taken place, and it has, in any case, stood here for a century and a half. So, the simple precaution of a stone or tile floor instead of timber or carpet at ground level should take care of most eventualities. The folly’s town centre zoning allows for a variety of commercial and residential uses, subject to planning approval.

Newcastle West has a population of around 7,000, making it the largest town in Co Limerick, it is an easy commute to Limerick city and retailers include Tesco and Lidl.