Kinsale breaks the mould with a new look for a new age

THERE’S a strong touch of TV’s Showhouse, with designer ‘showing off’ in Kinsale’s Abbey Fort, where no less than three different design teams were drafted into put life into the launch of the 260-home development by Killarney-based Dunboy Construction.

For those who want to get a feel for current interior design trends, a walk-through the five showhouses opening for the first time this week, will give an idea of what’s hot, what’s not, what might work in your own home — and what definitely doesn’t.

Although the teams of designers weren’t allowed to see what the others were up to, there’s a share of similarity: gone are light maple woods, Shaker kitchens et al, and in are browns, dark woods, carpets and wallpapers, the latter almost inevitably confined to single ‘feature’ walls.

Verily, if interiors minimalism paradoxically defined the excess years of the Celtic Tiger, then given the comfort factors witnessed in Abbey Fort, the country is in for a recession and wants its homes to cushion the blow.

As Killarney-based Dunboy Construction prepares to meet an obvious local demand, Abbey Fort has two city-based selling agents, Irish and European and Sherry FitzGerald on board for the sale of the 260 houses, across a welcome 11 house types, with the majority going to be terraced houses.

Prices start at e320,000 for a two-bed of an admittedly large-ish 930 sq ft, three-beds are e375,000 to e415,000 and four-beds are e445,000 or e480,000 for a semi, and e510,000 for a three-storey of 1,1770 sq ft.

The scheme, on 22 acres, is going to have a local Kinsale appeal, given the fact that most new homes schemes here are now complete and pretty much sold out. But, it will also attract a fair share of Cork city commuters who want the charms that Kinsale can offer on their doorstep.

Design has had input from two architects’ firms (Dunboy tweaked the first design done for E&T builders who got the initial planning but then sold on the site for a ce20 million cash windfall). They are built using timber frame construction.

Energy efficiency is high up on the scale, with an A rating assured. Dunboy Construction has been using geothermal heating for about five years, and mixes geo- and air thermal heating here. They reckon that on current energy costs, a householder here will have all the heat and hot water they want for an average of e 500 per annum.

Houses have ground floor underfloor heating, smart home technology and audio systems, pumped showers, and a choice of fitted kitchens. And the spotless site and landscaping already in place shows a Kerry-based building team in town and in the greater Cork area, for the long haul. Wasn’t the Sam Maguire enough for them?