Much-loved home at Cork city’s ‘Allihies’
The minimalist style of stripped-down home- making hardly gets a look-in at Janemount House, in Cork city’s old suburban Sunday’s Well.
In fact, if minimalism even bothered to try its wimpy ways, it would be squeezed out pretty peremptorily, such is the strength of personality and presence of its owners, who have busy been here for over 15 years.
Packing to leave could however, be problematic.
This is a family home that packs a dynamic, no-holds barred clout of collectibles, shabby-chic and up-cycled items, on every one of its three levels, spilling over into gardens front and back as well. It’s all a vibrant riot of colour.
“The houses here are known as the Allihies of the northside”, quips one of the owners, as several of the houses here at Lower Janemount indeed are bedecked in blazes of colour, a bit like the famed and multi-hued West Cork village of Allihies, so lively that posters have been made of its unabashed paint shades.
Painted it own shade of pale lilac, No 3 Lower Janemount is no blushing violet, with riotous colours gratis of its front garden’s floral over-planting, potted plants and seating bowers, on the second ascent from Sunday’s Well Road/Janemount, along its private approach path to its front door.
It’s the third of a terrace of three 1860s-built, tall two storey-plus attic houses hiding amid leafy greenery and gardens and bushes to the left of Lower Janemount, with other rows of less-tall houses further to the city end too.
But, unlike those other neighbours’ properties, these three of- a-certain-age have their own private parking slots nestling into the green growth — a real bonus in parking-starved Sunday’s Well and Janemount in general.
There’s less than a dozen homes, effectively off-road, up here and there’s only been a handful of resales here in the past two decades (one, painted a bright pink and blue, is right next to No 3).
Except for people using Lower Janemount as a pedestrian access to the houses on the partial plateau of Buxton Hill above, it’s a little-known and little visited nclave.
So, the self-titled Janemount House and, indeed, its special setting, will create a bit of a stir among the cognoscenti, and the area has always been popular with academics due to relative proximity to UCC, and to medics and lawyers who want the convenience of city living, with a leafy suburban, south-facing twist.
Estate agent Jackie Cohalan of Cohalan Downing raves about this listing, guiding No 3 at €395,00 and she stresses the setting, its space, and its charm and character.
As it goes on view, there’s even a hint of what’s within as you approach the gate at the foot of the long garden path: you can see a chandelier twinkling a welcome in the hall when the door’s open.
The owners appreciated the house’s age (he is an academic who has written book on Cork’s history, bridges and buildings, and she is a graphic artist and designer who buys and sells vintage, memorabilia and objets d’art) and original features are kept wherever possible, though windows have been replaced now with pvc.
A fabulous set of sliding wooden doors link the two ground floor rooms, which each have original floor boards, fireplaces (one with stove) and other details like well-weighted picture rails and dados.
Off behind is a cracking good kitchen/ dining room, with kitchen in a galley set-up with breakfast bar and utility.
Even though it’s to the back/north face of the terrace, it’s bright thanks to east and west-facing Veluxes in the double pitched-roof ceilings, and is entirely cosy too, thanks to yet another stove, which is gas-fired.
Done out in a French country theme, this is a jam-packed, lovely, homely room, and opens beyond to a tiered back garden with garden sheds, storage and herb patch.
(The bulk of No 3’s exterior/garden space is to the front, and is equally private.)
Making for a nice flow and through passage option, the kitchen can also be accessed directly from the hall (where there’s a guest bathroom), or from the rear reception room, and a utility/ pantry is tucked away handily to the very back of the house.
Heading up the stairs the solid build of this home is appreciated and the first floor has two carpeted bedrooms, each with fireplaces, and more stairs leads to the attic level’s two more bedrooms under sloping roofs, and with city view glimpses over the considerable bulk of a terrace of huge, brick houses off Sunday’s Well.
The main family bathroom is also up at this top level, looking to the back and out to Buxton Hill on the next tier above.
The vendors are looking for a home more on the flat, with more storage for on-going vintage collections and are thinking east Cork perhaps? as a total change of scene from this uphill city eyrie.
Key attractions are location, parking, southerly aspect, glimpses of views, gardens and period interior, upgraded and maximised.
There are steps access, sure, but that doesn’t seem to bother some of the hardier residents of Lower Janemount: the Irish Examiner’s visit coincided with a neighbour coming back home after being out on a jaunt, she’s aged in her late 90s, the steps don’t pose a challenge — she still keeps a car, yet prefers to walk.
: The height of shabby chic.
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