Space and seclusion in a city suburb

Tommy Barker is taken by Coosheen’s site and garden

Coosheen is on a really great site, effectively inner suburban, but it feels for all the world like a place out in the country

There’s a double layer of exclusivity to Coosheen, a modern detached home on Cork city’s Blackrock Road, just on the city side of Lindville, where a five bed in that scheme of Victoriana homes just came up for sale guiding €550,000. That Lindville offer is around half the €1.05m price that Coosheen arrives for sale at with joint agents Malcolm Tyrrell of Cohalan Downing, and John Downing of Downing Commercial — sort of book-marking between them the range of the city’s uppermost market.

On one level, the Blackrock Road location is just sheer prime in city terms, and on a second, higher level, Coosheen goes one further, being in a hidden, almost woodland, setting, shared with just four other houses, and behind not one, but two sets of electric gates.

The enclave (the main, communal gate only closes up at night-time) includes the original late 1700s Georgian home Chiplee at its northern boundary, with four ‘newer’ detached arrivals.

Named after a Schull, West Cork spot, Coosheen is on a really great site of 0.65 of an acre, effectively inner suburban, but it feels for all the world like a place out in the country. Visited on Friday last, it was a bee-loud glade, with just the sounds of buzzing, of birds, and of children playing in gardens off the main Blackrock Road.

And, good and all as this house undoubtedly is, its gardens are nearly the star turn, planted from the get-go back in 1995, irregularly laid out with lots of wending paths, self-maintaining beds, laurel walks, screened bowers and seating areas, with glasshouse, two sheds, a gazebo, and wisteria entangled pergola. Garden design was by the owners and John Ketch, and is now paying dividends in spades.

It’s planted for colour and interest at most times of the year, yet isn’t going to make too much time demands on its residents. Also easy on the eye are the gravel drive with massed side planting, granite sets and cobbles, and courtyard and patio paving, done with a bit of an artist’s eye.

Coosheen is a project worked on by the couple who conceived it in the 1990s, so they had a bit of work cut out to design and build to a very high level. There’s stuff here that didn’t really get ‘fashionable’ or even ‘essential’ for another five or even 10 years.

Its owners have moved to the coast and another house project, and it’s the first of the houses on Chiplee’s grounds to come for sale.

Even the shared approach avenue is a bit special, recently re-landscaped, and lit, with controlled access, all for a modest-enough fee per house of €1,000 a year.

Coosheen itself is big, punching in about 3,500 sq ft, and internally it is bespoke, yet adaptable: stud walls are in place that can easily be moved to change rooms around for other family needs, and the attic can remain a series of rooms with shower room, or open up to a far larger single room once more, with apex windows for lots of interesting light angles.

It’s got a very good floor plan on its lower two levels, clearly and sensibly laid out by its architect Declan O’Sullivan for light and aspect, the essence of good, simple design and that practicality has echoes right throughout the house: it’s solid, built to last and to adapt.

There’s a good C1 BER level thanks to double layers of insulation, windows are a Scandinavian H-system of double glazed cedar, and the main staircase is a masterwork in simple, sturdy oak, curving around a rear stairwell annex, with a characterful guest loo and cloak space tucked away in the bottom of the curve.

Likewise, curves surface again in the hall and directly above in the landing, with walls gently arcing around, setting a tone of generosity of circulation space. The owners note that their children regularly played together on the first floor curved landing, instead of ‘invading’ one another’s bedrooms.

The master bedroom (one of four beds at first floor level) is en suite, with walk-in dressing room, and has a double south and west aspect, with porthole window, while the main family bathroom has bath with shower. On the top floor are two more bedrooms with dinky apex windows, plus a shower room.

Most space is at ground level, thanks to a sun-room on the south gable facing a 400sq ft detached garage, built and insulated to house standards.

Other rooms include a 23’ by 13’ lounge with gas stove, with a spiral stairs to a mezzanine office. Then, there’s a family room with garden access via sliding timber doors, a dining room, kitchen/breakfast family room with German units and island, and appliances are Smeg and Miele, and there’s also a larder space, plus big utility/boot room with Belfast sink.

VERDICT: A great garden, a great location, and a house that needs no spending bar personal tweaks.