City to Country: Edwardian Limerick city home or €465k old stone in Goleen

Buyers can choose between Limerick city living, a Clare thatched cottage and scenic views across Kenmare or Dunmanus Bay, writes Trish Domey

Wed, 07 Jun, 2023 - 06:00

Trish Dromey

O'Connell Avenue, Limerick city
€475,000
Size	129 sq m
Bedrooms	2/3
Bathrooms	3
BER	C1

Even if 15 Verona Esplanade wasn’t a handsome Edwardian semi-d with a kitchen extension and an attic conversion, buyers would want it for its off-O’Connell Avenue close to Limerick City centre location.

“Verona Esplanade is a most sought-after address —it’s just a stroll away from O’Connell St, The People’s Park, Limerick City Gallery of Art, and is also within easy reach of a variety of amenities including schools,” says Ed Nepean of Sherry FitzGerald Limerick.

On the market with a guide of €475,000, the 1910-built property was extended by previous owners before being redecorated by its current occupants who bought it 10 years ago.

“They put in an en suite in one of the bedrooms and also landscaped the garden,” says Mr Nepean who describes it as a sophisticated home with an attractive mix of period and modern features.

The property has 129sq m of living space as well as an additional 14sq m in the attic conversion which is currently used as a bedroom. Accommodation includes two modern reception rooms with high ceilings coving and picture rails.

To the rear there’s a guest WC and an extended kitchen diner with green shaker-style units. Upstairs there is an upgraded bathroom, a small home office, two bedrooms including one en suite and a converted attic. The area at the rear of the house has been turned into a stylish courtyard garden.

Ballyvaughan, Co Clare
€475,000
Size	144 sq m
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	E1

For picture-perfect prettiness it’s hard to beat a well-minded, whitewashed thatched cottage with a flower-filled garden like this one at No 1 The Cottages in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare.

“It’s gorgeous. US and UK buyers will love it especially since it has views of Galway Bay at the front and of Burren hills at the rear,” says Gillian Wallace of Murphy Gubbins auctioneers which has just listed it with a guide price of €475,000.

Originally part of a Rent an Irish Cottage scheme which was built in Ballyvaughan in the 1960s, it has long since become a private holiday home. In the early 2000s the current owners added a long sunroom at the rear incorporating a modern kitchen as well as built-in bar with a maritime mural.

The sitting room in the property is highly traditional with a stone fireplace, flagstone flooring, a beamed ceiling, a dresser and a variety of cottage- appropriate bric-a-brac.

To the rear there is a kitchen with Shaker-style units opening into a long sunroom. The ground floor also has a bathroom and two pretty bedrooms, including an en suite.

At the top of the stairs there’s another charmingly decorated en suite bedroom with sloping ceilings.

The cottage has quite a large garden which is filled with colourful flowers and shrubs and has a water feature, a BBQ and a patio.

VERDICT: Located close to amenities and the waterfront in Ballyvaughan, it looks idyllic for holidays or remote working.

Tahilla, Co Kerry
€365,000
Size	133 sq m (1,432 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	3
BER	D1

As a Ring of Kerry property with character, large gardens, and scenic views of Kenmare Bay, The Old Stone House at Doon near Sneem looks like a great place to while away summer days.

Although it has the stone-faced appearance of an old cottage and the interior decor to match, it was built in the 1990s so is more modern than you might expect.

Seeking offers of €365,000, Tadhg O’Sullivan of DNG O’Sullivan says it’s a very well kept property which was built for holidays but has more recently been used as a permanent home.

“From the windows at the front you can see across Kenmare Bay to the Caha Mountains — the views are stunning,” he says, noting that scenic Ring of Kerry properties are always in demand as holiday homes.

Accommodation in the 133 sq m property includes a large timber-floored kitchen dining room, a sitting room with a beamed ceiling and a fireplace, and a bathroom and a utility space.

Upstairs there’s a small area on the landing used as an office as well as two en suite bedrooms.

Located at the foot of a rocky hillside, the property has an acre of wild gardens with mature trees and a very large natural pond at one side.

The Old Stone House is Located 11km from Sneem and 16km from Kenmare.

VERDICT: Will most likely sell as a holiday home but has broadband, space and scenery so it could also tempt a relocator.

Goleen, West Cork
€465,000
Size	96 sq m (1,033 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	G

This scenically situated old stone cottage at Durod on the Mizen Peninsula is the kind of property that European buyers, especially German ones, love.

“For the last 20 years it has been a holiday home for a German family, and the first two calls I got after advertising it this week were from Germans,” reveals auctioneer Martin Swanton who believes that it’s scenic enough to attract interest from a whole range of overseas buyers.

“It has a breathtaking view of Dunmanus Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and Kilcrohane on the Sheep’s Head Peninsula,” says Mr Swanton, who is seeking offers of €465,000 for the two-bed cottage which was renovated and extended before the German family bought it.

It offers 96 sq m of living space which includes a traditional living room cum kitchen/diner with slate flooring, a beamed ceiling, timber units, and a fireplace. At ground level, there’s also a bathroom, a utility, and — at the rear — a slate-floored west-facing conservatory in which the owners have grown quite a sizable lemon tree. There are panoramic views of Dunmanus Bay from the conservatory windows.

Upstairs, the cottage has two bedrooms, and outside there’s a stone lean-to outbuilding which has been used as an artist’s studio. Set into a rugged hillside, the cottage has an acre of gardens with mature trees, stone paths, lawns, and viewing points. It’s located around 8km from both Goleen and Barleycove Beach.