City to County: A thatched cottage in Tipperary or a terraced home in Kilmainham

A pick ‘n’ mix of homes in Dublin, Waterford, Tipperary and Kerry

No 2 Faulkner’s Terrace in Kilmainham has been extended and upgraded.

Kilmainham, Dublin 8
€520,000
Size	102 sq m (1,100 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	B3

ON the outside, No 2 Faulkner’s Terrace in Kilmainham is still a simple redbrick Edwardian terraced cottage, but on the inside it now looks rather like a small, but stylishly elegant, Roman villa.

The owner is an interior designer who, since buying, extended, upgraded, and replaced absolutely everything before decorating Roman style with gilt framed pictures, Roman busts, tapestries, geometric patterned friezes and carrying the theme out into the 82ft-long courtyard garden.

Listed with a guide of €520,000, it’s on the market with Owen Reilly Property who say the property has amazing living space finished to an exceptionally high standard. Possibly the most spectacular room is the main bedroom resplendent in green and gold.

This has both a marble slabbed en suite decorated in deep yellow as well as a well-equipped dressing room.

Decorated in brown, the second bedroom/ office is more subdued but also has gilt frames and roman motifs while the main bathroom is slabbed in dark green marble.

To the rear, the extended kitchen/dining room is filled with objets d’art, sculptures, and gilt framed pictures and has a bespoke granite top in addition to a marble fireplace.

Auctioneer Eleanor Bourke, who already has a bid of the guide, says the location close to the site of the National Children’s Hospital, is a sought-after one which offers easy access to the city centre.

VERDICT: Elegantly quirky.

Lisronagh, Co Tipperary
€225,000
Size	82 sq m (882 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	Exempt

ALTHOUGH still cute and traditional, this thatched cottage at Lisronagh in South Tipperary has been adapted for 21st century living by a couple who have been using it to work from home.

Located 3 km from Lisronagh village and 8 km from Clonmel, the two-bed property is new to the market this week with a guide €225,000. John Stokes of Stokes & Quirke auctioneers says it has been tastefully upgraded and redecorated by owners who have converted a shed into a home office.

 Although the cottage still has its thick stone wall and thick thatch on its roof, it now has quite a few non-traditional features. An extension, added by previous owners, has been used to create a living room with a stove, a full height ceiling and a gable wall with four windows, which in addition to letting in light, allow the owners to appreciate scenic views of Slievenamon.

There’s in the region of 882 sq ft of living space in the cottage which also has a kitchen diner with modern units, an upgraded bathroom and two bedrooms. There’s an additional400 sq ft in the detached home office which has some kitchen units and a modern wet room.

The cottage comes with a site of 1.2 acres. “The lands have been cultivated organically for the last number of years and include a garden with apple trees, paddock and some mature mixed forestry plantation,’’ reveals Mr Stokes.

VERDICT: An very affordable option for a buyer who fancies trying out a rustic lifestyle.

Kenmare, Co Kerry
€495,000
Size	189 sq m (2,034 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	B1

SOME peoples’ coastal relocation plans involve cute traditional cottages, but others look for modern, energy-efficient properties like Geata Gorm at Killaha West near Kenmare.

Built just six years ago, it’s a highly-glazed, architect designed three-bed house with scenic views of Kenmare Bay, the McGillycuddy Reeks and the Caha Mountain Range.

“Looking due west from the living room you can see the mouth of Kenmare Bay and Dinis Island and looking South West you can see the mountains,’’ explains auctioneer Tom Spillane, joint selling agent with O’Connor-Scarteen auctioneers.

The U-shaped design is contemporary and unconventional and includes several full-height bay windows including one in the master bedroom and one in the sitting room. The main living spaces are open plan but separate — these include a kitchen with modern grey units and a corner window as well as a sitting room and a dining room which both have floor to ceiling windows. There’s also a snug, three bedrooms, one en suite, and a mezzanine area which could be used as a playroom.

Guiding at €495,000, Geata Gorm is on a site of almost an acre and is located 5 km from Kenmare. As expected, it is attracting interest from Dublin buyers and a few returning expats. According to joint agent Patrick Connor-Scarteen most of the viewers are families with permanent relocation on their minds.

VERDICT: A very modern home in a popular coastal setting.

Tramore, Co Waterford
€470,000
Size	143 sq m (1,539 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	C1

THE tide of relocating buyers arriving in Tramore in search of a new coastal lifestyle is not, according to auctioneer Michael Griffin, showing any signs of diminishing yet.

For this new to market four-bed detached house at 69 Newtown Glen he’s just booked 12 viewings.

“Just 40% of these are living locally in Waterford, the rest are coming from Cork and Dublin and one is an Irish expat living in the Middle East,’’ he reveals.

Built in early 2006 in a development of detached houses, it has a little over 1,500 sq ft of living space.

“It’s a beautifully presented family home in a highly sought after and popular location,’’ says Mr Griffin, noting that it has views of the Tramore coast and the Metal Man, a famous local landmark, from the upstairs windows.

On the ground floor, accommodation includes two reception rooms, a kitchen- diner, a guest WC and a utility room while upstairs it has a bathroom and four bedrooms, one of which is en suite.

In the landscaped gardens the owners have found space for all kinds of children’s play equipment and for a hen house.

The property is located 3 km from Tramore and 15 km from Waterford city.

“There is an abundance of amenities in the Newtown Glen area — it’s within walking distance of Newtown Cove, Guillamene swimming cove and Tramore Golf Club,’’ says Mr Griffin who is seeking offers of €470,000.

VERDICT: Has the kind of space and comforts that trading up families look for.