There's something special about this red-brick in the heartland of UCC

A red-brick home of distinction in university heartland, No 3 could have a wide appeal, writes Tommy Barker.

Western Rd, Cork City €595,000

Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 3

BER: Pending

Although in the heartland of University College Cork and traditional B&B territory, No 3 Westmere could, on its merits, have some wider appeal given its size, setting, and architectural detailing.

One of a terrace of three red-brick homes of distinction, and dating to 1900 according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, it’s a three-storey 2,700 sq ft house with bay windows at ground level and up top, under a fishscale tiled front gable.

Behind, meanwhile, it has a very long garden accessed off the Mardyke, with parking for a half dozen cars, and possible mews scope too, all overlooking Cork Cricket Club’s grounds.

Internally, it has original hall floor tiles, an Aga-style cream range cooker in the kitchen, several original fireplaces, and the wood panelling around the ground floor’s front bay window is a particular feature.

Close to the main gates of UCC and south-facing in front, it has the Carbery House B&B to the left, while to the right St Kilda’s guesthouse, made up of a Victorian terrace of three rendered buildings, shows up on the Price Register as having made over €2m in 2014.

No 3 has up to six bedrooms, a rear annex and two bathrooms plus guest WC. The rear ground floor room also has a generous bay window, near a stone-flagged patio. Seán McCarthy of ERA Downey McCarthy calls it “a truly great find.”

VERDICT: Something a bit special about Westmere.