House, land and River Bride frontage at Rathcormac's €1m Greenall off the M8

City's a commute from 27 acre holding with fine period home: the rest of the farm, 95 acres across the N8, sold for  €1.65 million

Greenhall is on 27 acres, with farm buildings just on the Cork side of Rathcormac. Agent Michael  Barry guides at €1 million

Rathcormac, Cork
€1 million
Size	284 sq m (3,000 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	-2
BER	Exsmpt

"WHERE else would you get it?” asks estate agent Michael Barry, almost rhetorically, in the case of Rathcormac’s Greenhall, perfectly set up for home and horses, or hobby farm within a 20-minute commute of Cork city.

Imposing Greenhall

New to market this September, Greenhall’s a period home of solid stature, with deep bay windows, 3,000 sq ft of living space, is on 27 acre of good land with farm buildings, River Bride frontage – and is close enough to the village of Rathcormac to walk out the door to the shop for a pint of milk.

The setting may be familiar to those who recall driving the old N8 main Cork Dublin Road, as it’s just on the city side of the north Cork village and commuter location, now bypassed since the  arrival of the M7, which swings by the village, and restored road calm to it after decades of snarls.

Linked to the one family for well over a century, the Curtins who acquired Greenhall from original 19th-century owners the Corbetts (it replaced an older dwelling on the site site), it got passed down through several generations, most recently ending up in O’Keeffe family hands, with brothers Jim, John and Joe well known in equestrian circles, hunts and the local Coolnakill Harriers.

Yard by the house include lofted outbuilding and equestrian facilities

The original farm straddled the N7 just on the edge of Rathcormac, and the bulk, with 95 acres across the road was sold at auction two years ago for c €1.65m.

Now, it’s the main, period house’s turn to come to the open market, and selling agent Michael Barry, based in Fermoy, says it’s a very attractive proposition given the setting, acreage, character of the house, farm outbuildings and its overall condition.

Much of the land abuts the development boundary for  Rathcormc, and in fact, a tiny fraction of one section is included within the boundary so, for those with an eye on these things, there may be some future development/site scope: 'Hope value,' as it's known.

Another view of the yard at Greenhall, on the edge of  Rathcormac

Mr Barry, of Dick Barry & Son is acting jointly with Richard Ryan of GVM in Kilmallock and the same joint pairing also acted in the land sale a short while ago: they are selling for vendor Jim O’Keeffe, who has since bought a replacement farm in Co Limerick after he successfully sold the other 95 acres across the road.

The setting here is Bridgelands, Rathcomac and the 27-acre block coming with Greenhall has both extensive road frontage to the N7, and river frontage to the River Bride, a tributary of the mighty Blackwater, flowing 40 miles from the Nagle Mountains to join the Blackwater upriver of Youghal, after a detour through West Waterford.

The 27 acres is good grazing land, and the impressive, two-storey stone-faced house is set separate to,  but also close to,  the main farmyard, with hay shed, machinery shed, horse walker, outbuildings (on of the is lofted) and six loose boxes.

As it’s a protected structure, Greenhall doesn’t need a BER rating, and appears in very good overall condition, having been reroofed and with other maintenance investments down the decades. 

Bedrooms with bay windows

It has replacement double glazing, and oil heating and several fine formal reception rooms, with high ceilings and bay windows, hall with internal arch, office and ground floor WC, attractive landing and four first floor bedrooms as well as a walk-in dressing room and main bathroom.

Bedrooms with bay windows

New owners might upgrade, such as fitting a more modern kitchen (currently a Rayburn feeds into the central heating system,) but that and any other changes can be done in the short to medium term, Mr Barry suggests.

He put up a For Sale sign last week, and early interest is local but now he expects inquiries from further afield, both from families in the city looking for land, and from much further afield, for relocators who want a country lifestyle, but with village convenience, as well as proximity to the city.

VERDICT:  Where  indeed would you get it? Rathcormac,  clearly.