Inside restaurateurs' renovated city escape at St Luke's in Cork

We visit Martin Buckley and David O’Halloran of The Lifeboat Inn, Courtmacsherry, at their revamped Victorian bolthole

The starring role is given to an extra-deep copper bathtub, surrounded by forest-themed wallpaper.

The idea of having a bolthole to escape from work is usually envisioned as a bucolic farmhouse or coastal cottage away from the buzz of city life, but for Martin Buckley and David O’Halloran, it was the reverse.

They’re co-owners of coastal eatery The Lifeboat Inn in Courtmacsherry, Co. Cork, so peak season can see them working seven days a week. Wanting a change of scenery to relax, they began to explore the possibility of having a Cork city pied-à-terre to enjoy their downtime.

Martin Buckley and David O'Halloran in their late Victorian home in Cork city. 

According to David, their criteria when the search began three years ago were location, character and community.

“We were looking in Sunday’s Well, Montenotte and St Luke's,” he says.

“We had a bid on a house but it wasn’t successful. Then the auctioneer rang and said he had a house off the market. We came for a look and we fell in love with Gardiner’s Hill.”

Covering all three criteria, the house is a 10-minute walk to the city centre; it’s characterful with original floors and window shutters, and there’s a vibrant community of mixed living, with shops and cafés a minute’s walk away.

“It’s a great location socially,” says Martin. “Cancels out all the driving and it’s a friendly community.”

Having renovated their restaurant and home in Courtmacsherry, taking on an older property wasn’t daunting, but it wasn’t in need of a full renovation.

“Structurally we’ve done very little,” says Martin. “The kitchen was in poor condition and we’ve redone the bathroom but we couldn’t progress with anything until the floors were done.”

The starring role is given to an extra-deep copper bathtub, surrounded by forest-themed wallpaper.

This involved reparative work, retaining original features being a priority for them in this 1898-built house. “Of all the houses we saw it had the most original features,” says David. “We decided we’d keep all the features even if we didn’t like them.”

Surprisingly, those features included a piano.

“It was left behind by the last owners,” David says. “They left a note with it saying it was part of the house and each owner has kept it.”

This sensitivity to the house’s history sees a lightness of touch in the finishes, using fresh, modern paint colours with the quality of heritage paints, starting with Colourtrend’s Hague Blue in the hallway bringing vibrancy to what can be a dreary space in smaller Victorian properties.

Their property overlooks what Martin calls 'the secret garden'.

Contemporary wall art is a nod to a style throughout the home that offers a confident mix of vintage shapes and modern furnishings.

Sourcing rugs and a mirror for above the fireplace in the front room is a work in progress, and thanks to wainscotting, the room retains a period feel with modern Farrow & Ball Elephant’s Breath and Pigeon wall colours and upholstery in soft tans and greens.

Thanks to wainscotting, the front room retains a period feel with modern Farrow & Ball Elephant’s Breath and Pigeon wall colours.

The middle room is a little snug, inviting cosy evenings beside the solid fuel stove. A picture window overlooking a private courtyard and secluded garden is ripe for a table and chairs for early morning gazing outward as the seasons change. Light blue walls pop against a floor of slate tiles with an interesting backstory.

“They were the original roof slates,” Martin says.

The middle room is a little snug, inviting cosy evenings beside the solid fuel stove.

The narrow galley kitchen is a surprise for a couple whose work focus is food, but it’s an indication of how serious they are about enjoying their downtime.

“We didn’t need a big kitchen,” says David. “We have one in Courtmacsherry. We’re not going to be doing big family dinners here.”

Martin and David  in their kitchen.

Upstairs are three bedrooms in subtle blue/grey Farrow & Ball colours, but the starring role is given to an extra-deep copper bathtub, surrounded by forest-themed wallpaper.

“I always thought it would be fab to have a feature bath to be able to relax,” says Martin, which is hardly surprising for two people who spend their working lives on their feet.

Upstairs are three bedrooms in subtle Farrow & Ball colours.

Outside, the courtyard is bordered on one side by an old stone wall with plant pots creating an oasis of texture and a continental feel. A set of higgledy-piggledy steps leads up to what Martin says is “the secret garden”, foliage-rich as autumn approaches and yet another characterful part of the property.

The property features a private courtyard and secluded garden.

It prompts the question, have they a guiding principle for anyone tackling an older property?

Martin says, “Don’t get too caught up with trends. Every house has its own character.”

Martin and David in their front room. 

David cites retaining the period integrity of the house and passing it on to the next owners “like previous owners have”.

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