Gift of the gab? The quality at high-end €775k Blarney house speaks for itself

Country house charm in top-finish Tower, Blarney family home

Quality timber panelling speaks of owners who knew what they were doing: agent Pat Falvey of  Lisney SIR guides Brookfield House at €775,000

Tower, Blarney Cork
€775,000
Size	300 sq m (3,200 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	5
BER	B3

IT’S little surprise that the phone has been “red hot and hopping” since the Blarney area Brookfield House hit the sales ether on Wednesday — it’s as good outside as it is inside, and has both space and quality, with interiors set off with lots of top-notch wood paneling, and all hitting an excellent B3 BER: Not bad for a place first conceived almost 40 years ago.

Brookfield House is on Kiely’s Lane, Tower, near Blarney in Cork

Although it is inspired in its design and look by period farmhouses and country cottages seen on trips to England, Brookfield House also has Cork and pure Blarney stamped across it.

Since day one, it’s been the private home of Kevin Kelleher of the Blarney Woollen Mills group and Tricot Marine, his wife Noirin and their three children who grew up here, making maximum use of the gardens, on the edge of Tower village setting.

Private setting

The very well-known businessman and GAA stalwart Kelleher passed away in 2021, predeceased by his wife in 2019, both aged in their early to mid-60s.

Now, just listed with estate agent Pat Falvey of Lisney Sothebys Real Estate, the stone-faced and “classically country farmhouse”-styled Brookfield House runs to 3,200 sq ft, on a pretty generous and extensively landscaped mature site of 0.75 of an acre, and is launched at an AMV of €775,000.

Landscaped grounds

It’s certain to view extremely well, and also to face extremely competitive bidding given its myriad attributes and, as might be expected, quality finishes, with input down the years from interior designer Catherine Troy.

Main drawing room

Dating to the 1980s, but pretty much timeless in its appearance thanks to the to the stone facade, covered entry point, painted hardwood sash windows and limestone sills, it’s set just off the Kiely’s Lane cul de sac serving a handful of homes and farms off the Tower-Cloghroe road, with the added bonus of a 215 bus stop almost within hailing distance.

Sitting pretty

South facing, it has a covered entry point to a gleaming, gloss-painted hardwood door with polished brasses, part glazed on top with glazed side panels before entry to a central, L-shaped hall, and a great flow of rooms off it.

Piece de resistance is the main, square-shaped drawing room to the left/front, the core of the house with two bay windows, coved ceilings and walls fully paneled in polished hardwood timbers.

 It’s club-like, or even similar to a hotel residents’ lounge in its luxe looks, abetted by hardwood radiator covers, hardwood floor almost fully carpeted over, with carved tall hardwood chimneypiece, coved ceiling, and central chandelier.

Good and all as it is, the real heart is the kitchen, say Pat Falvey, which has extensive painted units topped with stone, beamed ceiling, casual dining area with access to a west-facing gable/side patio, facing, and off to front is a more formal dining room, also with a front bay window and double doors to the same side patio as reached off the kitchen/family dining nook.

It all makes for a great indoor-outdoor circulation set-up for parties, family gatherings and the like, and the more formal dining room (with fireplace) also connects to the exceptional drawing room.

There’s lots more, too, and pretty much all with the same high standards of finish and craftmanship. Off on the far, right-hand side of the hall is a family living room, with painted wainscoting and dado, plus a stove set in an ornate cast iron and tiled fireplace, while there’s also a guest WC at ground, utility, two store rooms and a large bathroom, with bath, as well as a laundry room.

Dining room

Go up the polished and carpeted hardwood stairs and Brookfield House has five bedrooms, all of them doubles and most with built-ins; two are en suite, with one clear leader as the main bedroom at the far, western end of the central landing.

Main bedrooms is large and luxe

This room is towards the front with good wide dormer sash windows (pic right), and backs on an en suite with large and extensively shelved dressing room off it, with elegant wallpaper touches .

Preparing for viewings, Lisney SIR’s Mr Falvey says the home is steeped in tranquility, creature comforts and notes “the thoughtful design and attention to detail are apparent in every corner, creating a harmonious blend of comfort and style”.

Casual family living room

“Upstairs, the first floor reveals five well-appointed bedrooms, each exuding its own unique charm,” he says adding the main bedroom “is a sanctuary of relaxation."

Remaining bedrooms “offer ample space for family members or guests, ensuring everyone enjoys their own personal retreat within this remarkable home. The thoughtful design and attention to detail are apparent in every corner, creating a harmonious blend of comfort and style.”

Mr Falvey himself lives locally and so knows the setting well.

“It’s as enticing as the property itself, a stone’s throw away from the delightful village of Tower. Everything you need is conveniently close by, and with bus and car options commuting is a breeze.”

VERDICT: One of the best trade-up homes at this price level in the greater Cork area: it’s certain to have a wide appeal for families, in the western and northern quadrants, no Blarney.