House the builder built: Rathcormac home that others sought to replicate is for sale

Oaklodge, a design ahead of its time, was a landmark for Corkonians driving to Croke Park on big match days writes Catherine Shanahan

Sat, 13 Feb, 2021 - 19:48

Rathcormac, Co Cork
€520,000
Size	464.5 sq m
Bedrooms	6
Bathrooms	7
BER	-

EVERYONE knew the “redbrick dormer” back in the day, when Corkonians travelling to Croker on big match days crawled through the tiny village of Rathcormac, trying not to let an eight-mile tailback curb their enthusiasm.

Everyone knew Oaklodge, a home of impressive size and design, because it was “a builder’s house”, and that spoke volumes.

In fact, the man who built it was approached over the years by others who hoped to replicate it, with one motorist stopping by on spec, asking to look around the house. He ended up buying the drawings. The owner sold plans and elevations to half a dozen more, mainly Dubliners.

Those who bought were buying from someone who knew what he was doing. He was the founder, in 1974, of Bride View Homes Ltd, the start of a long career in the construction industry, He built hundreds of houses, including developments such as the Ovals and Lansboro in Rochestown, Oakfield and Glencairn in Glanmire, but also apartments and one-off homes. At his peak with Bride View, he was building three “one-offs” a week.

“In the ‘80s, ‘90s and early noughties, we were building in Munster, Leinster and South Connacht. At the peak, we had about 100-120 working for us,” he says.

In 1996, the Bride View director set about building his own home in Mondaniel, Rathcormac, where his family hailed from. Despite its size —5,000 sq ft — the build was completed in six months, thanks to access to labour “at the drop of a hat”.

For a while, his wife operated the six-bed, seven-bathroom property as a B&B.

“When the house was new, it was absolutely fabulous looking,” he says.

“The Cork/Dublin road was outside the front door. Our market was right there on the main thoroughfare.”

It’s still a smashing-looking house, albeit no longer visible from the road thanks to skilled planting. It’s also no longer bypassed by legions of Corkonians thanks to the M8 motorway, which eliminated dozens of little villages from the Croker road trip.

It’s up for sale now with a relation of the family, John Hornibrook of Colbert & Co Auctioneers, who is guiding at €520,000.

“It’s one of those big houses that people who passed it remember. The design was ahead of its time. And while the kitchen needs a bit of modernising, what he put in really stood the test of time,” says Mr Hornibrook.

One of the things the builder put in was a garage, which he converted into a home office, somewhat prescient in light of a pandemic. These days, a home office is a godsend.

He also included a sunroom at the opposite end of the property, creating a nice separation between work and downtime. That sunroom opens, via double doors, onto a deck to the rear, surrounded by hedging that acts as a windbreak, and with a gazebo at one end. It's been a terrific entertainment space over the years for “lots of family celebrations and lots of parties”.

The lawns are fantastically landscaped thanks to Jerry O’Callaghan who worked with Bride View and did a lot of their gardens at the time, the owner says. The circa one acre of land is set inside an impressive pillared entrance on the main road, with a second set of pillars closer to the house.

Inside Oaklodge is an unexpectedly large “open-plan” entrance hall laid out in an unconventional manner, with no wall separating hall and living room, to create a sort of hotel foyer effect.

This living room runs the length of the house with a fireplace at one end and dining area and kitchen area at the other.

Kitchen units are concealed behind a feature brick wall and double doors lead from the dining area to the sunroom. A second set of double doors lead from the kitchen area to the outdoors while the kitchen itself runs between two rooms and can also be accessed from the back hall. There’s also a second, more formal living room with fireplace, on the opposite side of the entrance hall.

There’s acres of space upstairs, with enough room on the landing for a less formal home office, although with so many bedrooms (not to mention ensuites) options are plentiful.

The owner, who is downsizing (kind of) locally, believes Oaklodge will appeal to a certain market — families looking to trade up.

The fact that it’s just two miles from the motorway to Dublin and three miles from the road to Cork, will add to its attractiveness. As Mr Hornibrook points out, it’s only a 25-minute drive from Cork city.

He says there’s a great community in Rathcormac and a new primary school and he’s already had enquiries about Oaklodge.

I think there’ll be big local interest. There is a demand for big houses within commuting distance of Cork city.

That demand for houses in Rathcormac is behind the owner of Oaklodge's decision to revisit a building project that began 15 years ago, but fell victim to the Crash. It's The Beeches, which had planning for 23 houses. They had just returned to site last March when Covid-19 hit. But the hope is to get work underway again before too long, with the retired builder on hand to offer insights and expertise earned through almost 50 years in the business.