Living it large at Woodside

American inspired five-bed property close to Lissarda still has an Irish feel, writes Tommy Barker

THE family that owns Woodside House had just returned after a couple of decades living in the US, in California, and were dismayed when house-hunting here to find that most Irish homes for sale were on the small side, with correspondingly small rooms. So, they made their own solution — they built, big style, an Irish house with American proportions.

Now, while they ‘went large’ they didn’t go over the top, and the stone-finished house is still identifiably Irish, traditional in tone and planner-friendly, but there isn’t a mean-sized room inside, and that’s what the couple and their growing family set out to achieve.

The finished five-bed home, offered for sale on a tended acre and approached past immense stone pillars and electric gates, is on a fine rural site a mile from Killumney village, off the main Cork Macroom road above Lissarda. It’s about 20 miles from the city, and the easiest of commutes: you don’t hit a traffic light until the Dunnes Stores roundabout in Bishopstown.

It’s got expansive southerly views rolling out for miles, and miles, and you can see further too as Coillte cut down the forestry some years ago that gave Woodside House its name.

It’s new to market with agent Sheila O’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald, with Tom Heffernan in Sherry FitzGerald Hinchion in Macroom, and they guide the one-off with its generous 3,500 sq ft at €395,000. They say it’s an ideal option for families looking to trade up and yet be close to village life, school and amenities.

The generous space is signalled from the off at the entrance hall, squarely in the middle of the house, and with an even bigger landing/play area overhead up the mahogany staircase — it’s big enough upstairs to hold a pool table, with plenty of elbow room for cueing up shots.

Mahogany is also used in much of the house’s other internal joinery, and is a feature of the quality of the overall build and finish.

Off to the hall’s front right is a family room, with a raised hearth white marble fireplace, behind is a far larger 20’ by 14’ living room, with an equal quality black marble fireplace and the south-facing back wall had French doors with glazed side and upper panels for extra light penetration.

Ceiling heights are 9’, a bit over standard, and both reception rooms, and the kitchen, have quality hardwood flooring, in cherry, with underfloor heating, while the hall, and large sun room have tiled floors, in plain shades which won’t date, also warmed underfoot. The kitchen’s a great sized room, with painted solid timber units and island in unpainted cherry, done by kitchen-maker Toby Hatchett, and all topped with richly-hued red granite, which is also used as splashbacks and rising to ceiling height behind the range cooker. The stone was brought in specially from the United States, and has a decent, warm visual heft to it.

Also at ground level is the vaulted ceiling sunroom, a bathroom with shower, a study and a playroom/den or optional sixth bedroom, and a large utility room with (of course) a US-sized washing machine and dryer currently in situ. The fact there’s a US-style fridge in the kitchen almost goes unnoticed, so ubiquitous have they become. Other features include central vacuum, and a pressurised water system.

Upstairs are five double bedrooms plus family bathroom, and the master bedroom has an en suite bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe. Floors upstairs are semi-solid oak, for the most part.

Externally, the grounds are well kept, mostly level, with a raised lawn just inside the high screening front boundary, and behind is plenty more space, in grass, plus wide sweep of terraced patio with large sandstone flags. A few metres from the house is a lofted double garage, which is also faced in stone in front and with rough, adobe-like plaster on other wall. This detached building’s upper level is used as a gym, with a bathroom.

VERDICT: A quality build, great space for the money, in an easy-commute rural setting.