No 7, a class opportunity at Sidney place

IT’s moving out time today for school pupils at No 7 Sidney Place, Wellington Road, a mid-Georgian building high above Cork city - and now for sale, as the school departs its several levels.

The four-storey over-basement property has had a huge range of uses in its illustrious past: it ranged from private residence to guest house, to restaurant, and to language school, and finally private school.

In the last several years, it allowed the girls of Scoil Mhuire secondary school to decant into No 7, when renovation works were underway in their adjacent buildings, Nos 1-3 Sidney Place, and with a major new classroom and science labs extension to the rear, on Sidney Hill, just east of St Patrick’s Hill.

As part of an agreement to allow the school remain in occupation at No 7 after fire safety concerns were raised, prompting controversial proposals to temporarily move the school to the Sunbeam site in Blackpool, a costly new fire escape was provided, among other measures.

“A king’s ransom has been spent on the last decade to bring the property up to fire authority compliance,” agrees estate agent Andrew Moore, who’s now jointly charged with the sale of No 7 with DTZ Sherry FitzGerald.

Guide price is €375,000,and it’s already under offer approaching that sum., Given the building extends to 7,600 sq ft in all, that’s less than 50 per square foot, for an immensely solid period property with distinguishing architectural features.

It’s south-facing, with lofty city views, and while it was originally a super-sized private residence in its glory days, today it has scope to reprise that once more, or, more likely, a number of mixed use new roles.

No 7’s probably best known for its days as Darcy’s B&B, when it was run by Claire D’Arcy, as a guesthouse and bistro, and it featured on an RTÉ TV programme in 2002, when it carried a €800,000 price tag: it eventually sold for close to €900,000, bought as an investment as a language school.

With the girls of Scoil Mhuire now leaving for their just-extended and upgraded wing behind Nos 1-3, No 7 is being sold with vacant possession and “has spectacular architectural features, high ceilings, large rooms and is in great condition throughout,” says Mr Moore. No 7, he suggests, “would make a spectacular private residence, or has solid income potential, and is ideal as a mixture of home with some sub-lettings.”

Meanwhile, also on the substantial period home front in Cork, successfully sold at auction last week was the 4,000 sq ft No 2 Bellevue Villas, Tivoli. The three-storey-plus attic, over-basement home, made over its guide at public auction with Sherry FitzGerald, with two bidders. It sold for €410,000, bought as a private home.

Details: Andrew Moore & Co 021-4279393, DTZ Sherry FitzGerald 021-4275454