Fine Georgian, long in one family, in Cork’s elevated Montenotte district

FOR more than half of its 180 years, Mount William has been in the same family’s ownership — but now, reluctantly, comes the time to sell.

The detached, Georgian city home is in the heart of Cork’s Montenotte, in a grand stand position, looking up and down the Lee Valley, and westwards to the city.

Mount William was built in 1832 by William O’Connor, and, in 1922, was bought by jeweller Englebert Burkley, who’d taken over Hilser’s jewellers on South Main Street in the early 1900s.

Englebert and his wife, Olga, were interned on a visit back to their native Germany in 1914 (having become British citizens), and were kept there for five years, before returning to Cork, buying Mount William after their return to prosperity.

Their daughter, Clare, took over the house in the 1960s, rearing her family with husband, Tim Dennehy, there. During their decades-long tenure, some of their grand, neighbouring houses, including the Dwyer family’s Ard na Laoi, and a McKechnie house alongside, were demolished in the 1970s. Now, the Ard na Laoi lands behind Mount William are home to several dozen, 1980s-built McInerney houses.

Mount William is new to market with estate agent Michael McKenna, who guides the two-storey, 2,200 sq ft, four-bed house at €500,000. It has a host of original details and features, and genuine character, wearing its great age lightly, with floors level and sound, stair rails and spindles all solid. Brass rods keep the stair carpet in line, and doors have polished, brass handles and old keys, one a hefty weight, as old as the house itself (see image p1.)

This house is at the back of its sloping, south-facing site, so behind it there’s only a yard and a buttressing, old stone wall, whitewashed, with arched coal store and storage sheds.

All the main rooms, to the front, have views to the river, down to the city, and over the Marina, only partially interrupted by the Country Club Hotel’s copper roof turrets. The front of this property has tiered and graded gardens and drive, with car-turning space and electric access gates.

Having easy and private, off-street parking is a real bonus in this part of Montenotte, selling agent, McKenna, rightly points out. The upper portion of the approach is level and terraced, with a well-placed sun room tucked up against a boundary wall. The approach has original, cast-iron, ornate railings, limestone steps, and a boot-scraper graces the front doorstep.

Modest and manageable in size, period Mount William has the evidence of a well-kept house, but one where spending on the more major tasks probably stopped a decade or two ago, when the double-glazed, bronzed aluminium windows went in.

Now, it needs a kitchen, and maybe a few more modern or period-style bathrooms, and a bit of decorative lightening up at least, but the essentials are all sound, and the location and aspect are bang-on.

With so many talented Irish architects currently under-employed, there should be no shortage of bright, articulate architectural ideas on how to work with this great spot’s best features, and yet give it new life, for a new family.

It’s been minded for a century by the owners’ family, now it’s ready for a new burst of appreciative enthusiasm.