€625k Douglas Road 'honest' home called Knocknagow is brought to book - and to the market

1938 built suburban Cork home called after classic 19th Century Irish novel by Charles Kickham: WB Yeats called the book "the most honest of Irish novels"

Front view of private Knocknagow, on Cork's  Douglas Road. Agent Trevor O'Sullivan of Lisney SIR guides the quality semi-d at €625,000

Douglas Road, Cork City
€625,000
Size	145 sq m (1,550 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4/5
Bathrooms	2
BER	f

THERE’S an Irish literary nobility to the name of this rock-solid 1930s-built Douglas Road family home, called Knocknagow, about to leave family hands for the first time ever.

It bears the same name as a classic Irish novel of the 19th century, Knocknagow, by writer and nationalist Charles Kickham, which attacked the evils of landlordism and overbearing English rule.

Honest home: Knocknagow, on the main  Douglas Road in Cork city

Published in 1870s, it was one of the most popular Irish books for the next half a century, observed to have been found in most homes, along with a copy of Old Moores Almanac, and a bible or other prayerbook: WB Yeats once described it as “the most honest of Irish novels.”

Because of its resonances, Knocknagow’s a name that crops up as an Irish house name, or address quite often too: the Price Register shows dozens, including one on Cork’s Blackrock Road that has sold twice, in 2013 and 2016.

Front reception

This Knocknagow on Cork’s main Douglas Road is now the latest offer with the well-familiar name and like its literary predecessor, it’s as honest as you’d ever hope for.

It was constructed in 1938 by a builder John Mullins, who also built homes behind off the Douglas Road in estates like Endsleigh and Browningstown, and was bought by one of the current owners’ mother in her own right, before she ever married.

He was raised here, and it’s been his good fortune to call it his own family’s for 42 years, accommodating five children, all easily accommodated in this four/five-bed semi-detached house, with original (pre-1963, so planning exempt) attic conversion.

Rear reception  with garden access via French doors

That attic room, bright and super warm in a week like this with a Velux window to the rear, is up a steep and shallow-stepped hardwood stairs, not for the faint hearted…it’s the type you’d come back down sideways, or backwards, when you get to an, eh, certain age.

“The children loved it, they couldn’t wait to get up there as soon as they were old enough,” says Knocknagow’s house-proud matriarch, as trade-down time hoves around.

The couple are leaving a lovely home, in gleaming condition, so much more than a ‘standard’ semi-d as it has acquired the patina of burnished age from polish and care. Witness the original herringbone oak parquet hall floor with its coir door mat in a brass inset just inside the door; spot the hardwood stair newels and rails, and clever way the stairs gets its turns/returns in; appreciate the unscuffed varnished original pine floor boards in the two main reception rooms and several bedrooms, count the tiled fireplaces both upstairs and down. Then, looking up, take note of the deep ceiling coving and, note too, the slight extra heights in the ceilings at both internal levels.

Clearly, Knocknagow was built day one, 84 years ago with extra quality touches: you’d suspect it from its deep, double height window bay with apex above (and the roof seems to be in slate, not tiles), and while the furniture and decor also speaks of appreciation for proven and the antique, it’s not at all frozen in time.

It has been underpinned in recent years, and appears to stand that tiny bit taller than modern homes, with extra depth in the plinth under windows and doors, and has new external doors front and back, as well as updated double glazing; the main first floor bathroom has been refreshed also, retiled with a shower. 

Kitchen

The kitchen’s neither original nor new, but has its units painted and is fresh, with bright access to the back garden via a glazed door, with glass side panels, while there’s also back garden access from French doors in the rear living room.

Knocknagow’s listed with estate agent Trevor O’Sullivan of Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, who attaches a €625,000 AMV to the very well-presented 1,550 sq ft home.

He had a half a dozen parties lined up for his first day’s viewing Wednesday, and the immediate profile is of young couples and families, several of them first-time buyers (salaries must be well above average) and key attractions are, well, obvious.

Back garden

There’s the immaculately-tended gardens with equally well planted neighbouring yet private gardens; location and the main Douglas Road address (it’s just opposite Johnson & Perrotts motors and Tramore Lawn (where a number of semi-ds are currently being extended, for those looking for ideas); it has off-street parking, and a garage converted as a utility, storage and WC) plus there’s the immediate proximity of creches, schools both primary and secondary, many within a few minutes’ walk.

Add in public parks, a swimming pool, tennis club and sports pitches, and, to top it all off, a GoGos café is due to open around the corner, relocating from the Well Road, and that ‘stamp of approval’ might well drive the price on just that bit further too than the €625k guide.

VERDICT: This reporter has a bet with Lisney’s Trevor O’Sullivan as to where bids might end up: there’ve been mentions of ‘eating one’s hat’ if it doesn’t reach €xxxk. Hopefully GoGo’s might be open in time to furnish an edible one, to hedge the bet?