€2.5m Annesgrove  on 258 acres is a Munster sleeping giant

Aherla's Annesgrove has history, two houses, lots of land, two farm yards and a stupendous approach avenue lined with mature hardwoods, It's a prize...at a price

Later, c 1870 wing at Annesgrove,  Aherla, with 258 acres also on offer

Aherla Cork
€2.5 million
Size	258 acres farm, 327 sq m (3,500 sq ft) plus second house/farm
Bedrooms	4 (main house)
Bathrooms	3
BER	Exempt

EVERY wise woman buildeth her house’ is a legend carved in stone at Cork’s Annesgrove, Aherla. Now that it’s for sale, who’ll be the wise woman, or the smart man, with a few million euros to spare, and who’ll seek to build upon it once more?

Writing on the wall 

The period home Annesgrove, and its lands spanning over 250 acres, is 25kms west of Cork city, south of the main N22 Macroom/Killarney road, at Aherla Beg. But, with sections dating all the way to 1720, plus a sizeable mixed farm and two houses and yards, it can be a world removed from 21st century hustle and bustle.

Wooded setting

It begs to be restored and become a private estate of suitable merit. Now that it’s for sale after years lying idle it does, however, need some vision and salvation.

Grand entrance to Annesgrove

The cited line, carved in limestone, that “Every a wise woman buildeth her house (“but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands”) comes the Bible, Proverb 14:1.

It’s linked to the woman who built the grander parts of Annesgrove back in 1870, a Mrs Anne C Barter. Mrs Barter was one of the noted Barter family who built the Hydropathic Baths in Cork’s Tower near Blarney in the 1840s, which survived up to the 1950s, with their heyday in the late Victorian era, gaining international recognition for their restorative powers and health benefits.

Pillars of society?

She added the main, five-bay residence with fine rooms and appropriate period trim all intact, building it onto to a far older and more modest dwelling, dating to 1720.

Original 'half' of Aherla' Annesgrove is more modest, farmhouse in style

The two houses, little and large, are now conjoined, front and back, totalling 3,550 sq ft of local history with grandeur in the three reception rooms and hall.

Reception room

There’s also some grandeur in things like the sunken garden, wide splayed entrance with cast iron railings on cut limestone walls, and in other, tall hexagonal limestone pillars by the house, topped with carved acorn finials.

Avenue

In between the two set-piece, bookending pairs of stone pillars, is one of the loveliest approach avenues around, wide, and fringed by centuries’ old native hardwoods, with birdlife, wildlife, and alive with buzz of bees.

Atmospheric Annenesgrove

A real timepiece, and still robust, roofed and minded despite being unlived in for years Annesgrove lays a claim to having been graced by the body of the late Michael Collins after he was killed in nearby Beal na mBláth in August 1992.

That was before his body made it to Shanakiel hospital in Cork city, but is a proud yet unsubstantiated boast.

After Barters’ years here, Annesgrove came into the 20th century ownership of the Kennelly family, with the hard-working matriarch who actively farmed it for decades having family roots in near De la Cour Villa at Lissarda.

It passed to her son, Colm Kenneally, a businessman and hotelier, who was owner of Limerick city’s Cruise’s Hotel in the mid 1900s, before it was sold in 1991 and demolished.

Memorabilia and furniture from Cruise’s Hotel rested at Annesgrove, and formed part of the contents disposal of 600 lots at an auction earlier this year, which followed the passing of Colm Kenneally in 2019.

So, as Annesgrove comes to the open market this autumn, having been ‘resting’ for years it’s a refurb opportunity, and a rare one, in an area west of Ballincollig home to some very wealthy individuals and families.

It has many touches of grace to please a well-heeled, or even wellington-heeled buyer, with a bit of energy and prepared to commit to enhance an asset, while living in comfort and great privacy after the necessary work is done.

A garden entrance off the avenue

Estate agent Maurice Cohalan of Cohalan Downing, acting jointly with Sherry FitzGerald Gleeson in Thurles, guides Aherla’s Annesgrove at €2.5 million.

Barn-stormer 

At that, it’s one of the larger Munster farm sales of the year, with the added bonus of a period home in two halves, plus old courtyard with low-slung old stone buildings, as well as a second farm holding with further residence added several decades ago by the late Colm Kennelly.

C19th farm courtyard and animal houses

It has 180 acres of pasture currently rented out, and the rest of the estate comprises up to 55 acres of marginal land, 15 acres of forestry and eight acres of quarry.

VERDICT: Quite a stand-out prospect, with massive promise.