A bit of Blarney: Yours for the taking for €350,000

House hunters have a chance to get their hands on a spacious home in a popular location, says Catherine Shanahan

Blarney, Co Cork
€350,000
Size	158 sq m (1700 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	C3

A RE-RUN during the week of an RTÉ TV documentary that looks behind the scenes at what it takes to keep Blarney Castle Estate tourist-ready ( A Year on the Estate) reinforces just how big this little village is in global tourist terms.

However for house hunters, it’s about much more than a chat-inducing celebrity stone in a medieval stronghold overlooking an ancient village square.

As reported in the Irish Examiner’s Property Focus last week, home buyers are drawn there for a variety of reasons, not least because it’s less expensive than buying in the city, but still within easy reach of it.

At the same time, there’s an air of keeping it country, so that residents can enjoy a reasonably sylvan setting just 8km north west of Cork city.

However, there hasn’t been a whole lot of house building in Blarney in recent years in terms of new housing estates, so buyers’ choices can be limited. Detached homes on good-size sites are also hard to come by, so when they do come up, the market response is strong.

So says Norma Healy, selling agent with Sherry Fitzgerald. She’s seen terrific interest in new-to-market Tweedmount, a three-bedroom home in Blarney on half an acre which featured in these pages last week, and she’s expecting a similar show of interest in Ellen Lodge, which she now brings to market, guiding at €350,000.

“It can be tough to get a one-off house in Blarney on a site this size so I expect plenty of interest,” she says.

Like Tweedmount, Ellen Lodge is a three-bed on half an acre. Its had two sets of owners over the years, and the current owners increased the living space by adding a generous rear extension. It’s a fine-size living room, with an archway into the kitchen, and with plenty space for a formal dining table. French doors lead outside and there’s also a lovely picture window from which to enjoy the view while eating dinner under a vaulted ceiling.

The kitchen offers a less formal dining option at an island with breakfast bar. There’s also a dual aspect family room to the front of the house and a utility room.

158 sq m (1700 sq ft)

In terms of sleeping accommodation, all three bedrooms are doubles, although none are ensuite. At the moment, there’s just one main bathroom but plumbing is in place for a second bathroom out back, put in at the time of the extension. Oil-fired heating is zoned.

Outdoors, besides the half acre and the large rear south-east-facing back garden, there are plenty of attractions.

“The scenic Waterloo walkway is right on the doorstep — perfect for an active family,” Ms Healy says.

There’s another 10km of pathway in the 60 acre Blarney Castle Estate, with magnificent woodland.

Ms Healy says Ellen Lodge is an ideal family home and in the right price bracket to appeal to a first-time buyer, or equally a family looking for an alternative to living in a housing estate.

Built in 1995 and measuring 1700 sq ft, she says it’s an easy walk into the village from Ellen Lodge, and it’s also close to the Cork/Mallow Road.

VERDICT: Well-maintained spacious accommodation in well-served location.