City to Country: Renovated Stoneybatter red brick for €465,000 or charming Galway thatched cottage

Buyers can choose from city living in Dublin 7 or spacious comfort in Galway, Waterford and Clare, writes Trish Dromey

Gorse Cottage, Oughterard, Co Galway,

Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
€465,000
Size	63 sq m (678 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	E1

An artisan property which probably dates from the early 1900s, it has been renovated and upgraded by owner occupiers who bought it in 2010.

Selling agents The Property Shop say the major share of the work was carried out in 2018 when the owners knocked walls on the ground floor to create an open plan living space.

Fitting a new kitchen with white contemporary units, they painted most of the walls white and put down grey laminate flooring throughout.

In addition to creating a long open plan living/dining/kitchen area they also upgraded the bathroom which is situated at the rear of the ground floor.

The upper floor, accessed by a staircase in the living area, has two laminate floored bedrooms including one which doubles as an office and a nursery.

Providing 63 sq m of living space, the property also has an east facing decked patio at the rear.

Seeking offers of €4000, Graham Barry of The Property Shop says that Stoneybatter is a fashionable and popular location with a great community atmosphere.

VERDICT: Small, but well located and tastefully renovated.

Oughterard, Co Galway
€425,000
Size	166 sq m (1,786 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	D2

Gorse Cottage near Oughterard in Galway is pretty enough to make anyone fall in love with it — especially overseas buyers who tend to be particularly susceptible to the charm of thatched properties.

Dating from the 1800s, the cottage was renovated and extended in 2008 by current owners who incorporated an old stone outbuilding, added an upper level, and turned it into a three-bed property.

Now offering 166 sq m of living space, it has beamed ceilings, stone fireplaces, lead effect windows, floral curtains, and is just as charming on the inside as it is on the outside.

Downstairs accommodation includes a spacious kitchen/dining room with country style units, three reception rooms and a bedroom/bathroom.

A spiral staircase leads to the upper floor which has a bathroom and two bedrooms.

On the three quarters of an acre of woodland gardens which surround the cottage, there’s a stone outbuilding which has a ground floor art studio and an upstairs yoga studio.

Located at Birchall, two km from Lough Corrib, Gorse Cottage has an electric gated entrance and mature flower filled gardens with gravelled paths, stone patio areas and timber benches.

Previously on the market in 2019, it is now selling with Savills auctioneers who are guiding it at €425,000.

Auctioneer Gavin Kennedy says it might be bought as a lifestyle property, a holiday home or a fishing lodge.

VERDICT: Picture postcard pretty.

Faithlegg, Co Waterford
€349,000
Size	140 sq m (1,506 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

This cut stone building at Coolbunnia near Faithlegg in Co Waterford has been transformed from a small schoolhouse into an interesting and attractive three-bed home.

“The original building which dates from 1775 was renovated in 2006 by current owners who put on a two-storey extension and fitted double glazing,” reveals Warren Palmer of Palmer auctioneer The interior of Bridge House is mostly modern now but the owners have created a sitting room with exposed stone walls and added a few unusual features including a lean to sunroom and a Juliette balcony.

There’s 140 sq m of accommodation which includes a high ceilinged kitchen/ diner with Velux windows and cherry wood units as well as a sitting room with exposed stone walls.

In the extension there’s a bedroom, a bathroom, a utility room, and a sunroom/hallway. The upper floor has two bedrooms including one with an en suite and a Juliette balcony.

The property has a garden with a patio and a lawn at the side but doesn’t have off street parking, although there is a lay-by across the road where the owners park.

Located within a few minutes’ drive from Faithlegg House Hotel and Cheekpoint village, the property is 10km from Waterford city.

Quoting a guide of €349,000, Mr Palmer says it was renovated by a retired couple who are now moving to a warmer climate and thinks it could appeal to this type of buyer again or perhaps to a young couple.

VERDICT: A modern country cottage with old world character and stone work.

O'Callaghan Mills, Clare
€475,000
Size	334 sq m (3,595 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	4
BER	B1

The 14 acres of woodland and forestry and the lake access that come with Kilgory Lodge near O’Callaghans Mills in east Clare may well take viewers by surprise.

Located within a short distance from Kilgory Lake, it’s an exceptionally spacious four-bed property built in the early 2000s by the current owners who fitted geothermal heating which earned it a B1 energy rating.

Set on an acre of gardens , the property has a greenhouse and a detached cabin/workshop which looks perfect for a home office.

Beyond the gardens there’s the woodland and forestry which was planted 30 years ago with a mix of spruce, sycamore, and ash trees. Beside it, there’s a long stretch of shoreline by the lake where the owners keep a boat. “The 70-acre lake is popular for coarse angling,” says John Clohessy of DNG Hurley.

Seeking offers of €475,000, he says this is an exceptionally well finished family home which offers excellent space and privacy for remote working.

The ground floor has a generous sized kitchen/ diner, two reception rooms, a utility room, a study, and a guest WC, while the upstairs has four bedrooms, two with ensuites and another two which share an ensuite.

Located in the midst of woodland within a few minutes’ walk from the lake, Kilgory Lodge is 3km from O’Callaghan Mills and 29km from both Killaloe and Limerick City.

VERDICT: An extra spacious home with lake access and a forest all of its own.