Historic Georgian home by Lough Derg for €825,000

This lodge, near Lough Derg, could be a gem for the next generation, with a little tender loving care

Drominagh Lodge Ballinderry Tipperary

When viewers come through the woodland that surrounds Drominagh Lodge and discover the elegant Georgian house which looks untouched by the modern world, they might be forgiven for thinking that they have travelled back in time.

Built in 1820, the property at Ballinderry in North Tipperary has been owned for the last 140 years by four generations of the Fogarty family. During this time they planted thousands of hardwood trees on its nine-acre site but haven’t made many significant changes to the five-bed house other than essential ones such as putting in plumbing, electricity and a kitchen and bathrooms.

The multitude of original features which have survived the years in the single storey over basement property include fireplaces, shutters, picture rails and decorative ceiling cornicing. Little has changed on the exterior which has limestone sills, lintels and pilasters, timber sliding sash windows and a flight of cut limestone steps leading up to a front entrance with a distinctively Georgian petal fanlight.

To the rear there are gardens with a pond, a millrace and a working waterwheel, features of another era. During the last century, the owners added a conservatory at the rear which looks as if it was always part of the house. Entrance to Drominagh Lodge is via a tree-lined avenue with a set of limestone pillars which are said to have been won in a high stakes card game in Galway by a member of the Biggs family who originally built the house.

Coming to the market with a guide of €825,000 — the 2,800 sq ft property needs a lot of TLC and upgrading. There’s little evidence in the house of the existence of the 21st century but modern heating systems, insulation and energy saving technologies will be required to give it the comfort level required for contemporary living. One of the key selling points for Drominagh Lodge is its location at Ballinderry just two kms from Lough Derg and four from Terryglass village. Joint selling agents Sherry FitzGerald Countryside and Sherry FitzGerald Talbot say that country houses in this area can expect to attract both national and international interest.

Describing it as being in a remarkable and beautiful spot, auctioneer Philip Guckian says that with its architectural features and well-proportioned accommodation it has the potential to be a beautiful and elegant family home. He believes it could be a “ true gem for the next generation”. Preparing to relinquish ownership, the great grandson of the owner who bought it in 1880 is hoping it will pass to someone who gives it the care it needs and will also appreciate and look after the woodlands — which has giant redwoods, walnut trees and native hardwood species which have been planted by generations of his family.

He says that amidst the woodland, the house with its gardens with its pond and millrace, is a haven of peace and tranquillity. “It’s also a haven for wildlife — we see foxes, badgers and hedgehogs and on the pond we get kingfishers, cranes and wild ducks. In the gardens you can’t hear the sound of traffic — just the birdsong.” The main entrance at the top of the steps leads in to a hallway which has a dining room at one side and a drawing room at the other. Both are high ceilinged rooms with original fireplaces and decorative plasterwork. Beyond this are four bedrooms and a bathroom, which like all other rooms in the house are in need of decorative restoration.

A set of stairs leads down to the lower/garden level which has a sitting room, a bedroom, cloakroom, study and a large kitchen with an Aga, as well as some storage space. At one side of the lodge there’s a colonnaded veranda and at the rear, overlooking the pond and the millrace, is a conservatory.

In the gardens around the house there’s a ring of 200 year old beech trees and a variety of specimen trees, including giant monkey puzzle and a weeping ash. Off the patio by the pond are a number of pathways leading to seating areas around the grounds.

Drominagh Lodge has always been part of a working farm and has a separate farmyard with three large barns and a range of outbuildings.

VERDICT: Like a house out of time.