Whitehorn Valley offers added luxury in country house package

Located at Garraun South, this detached modern country house near Donoughmore, Co Cork, is well-finished, Tommy Barker reports

IT must be an Irish thing, but this summer you can see the logic to putting a solid fuel stove into a sun room.

That sensible gable-end extra, about 12’ square and with pitched ceilings and a Velux, is in pride of place in this detached Donoughmore, Co Cork modern country house; it makes the home comfortably usable in any and all weathers. Even when not lit, the stove’s a focal point, and at night can be used for safely holding atmospheric candles.

Attractively named Whitehorn Valley, and with it 0.9-acre site indeed fringed by whitehorns and other native trees, this 2006-built home is at Garraun South, near Donoughmore about 16km north of Cork City via Grenagh.

Blarney and Courtbrack are not too far way either, advises selling agent John Singleton of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan, who guides the well-finished property at €320,000.

Its site size is marginally less than an acre, and includes a 400 sq ft lofted detached garage, and some extensive hard landscaping to the southerly aspected back with raised beds, shelter screening, gravel, geometric patio brick paving and picnicking spot, etc. Over the other side of the garden, with tiered lawns, is a vegetable patch, and chicken run as tasters of the good country life.

Inside, the look is bright and modern, with plain dark floor tiling in many rooms except the main 16’ by 14’ lounge with its dark timber floor and feature wallpaper chimney breast.

Double doors open onto to the kitchen, where the units are fashioned from equally rich cherrywood and topped with black granite, as is the island unit, with a gas stove and arch to the sun room. The sun room! can be screened off by curtains, a simple visual space separator. Other rooms at ground level include a study, utility and WC, and upstairs two of the four bedrooms have en suite bathrooms with showers, the master bed also has a dressing room, and the main bathroom has a shower over the bath.

VERDICT: Quite a well-delivered package for the money.