City to Country: Sea views in coastal Kerry home or renovated Garda station for €400,000

Attractive options here for many home buyers, writes Trish Dromey

Old Garda Station Geashill Offaly

Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
€595,000
Size	83 sq m
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	A3

Although it’s situated at the end of a terrace of 1950s cottages, No 163 Ballyboden Road in Rathfarnham is rather surprisingly a modern, recently built property with an A3 energy rating.

Quoting a guide of €595,000 for the two-bed bungalow, Cathal McCarthy of DNG Rathfarnham explains that the existing house at the end of the terrace was knocked to create an entrance to a nearby development and replaced in 2018 by this one.

Built in the style of the original cottages it’s an ultra-modern property with double glazed windows, air to water heating system, oak engineered flooring, and a cobble lock driveway with automatic gates. Accommodation includes a living room with a stone fireplace and a stove as well as a tiled kitchen/ diner with pale grey shaker style units and an oak wall shelf.

Its 83 sq metres of living space includes two bedrooms with built-in wardrobes and a bathroom.

At one side it has a small lawn area planted with tulips and at the rear, a cobble lock area with parking space for three cars.

Mr McCarthy says it’s a ready to move into home which will attract downsizers as well as young couples.

“It’s just a kilometre-and-a-half from Rathfarnham village and is close to local parks including St Enda’s and Marlay,” says Mr McCarthy noting that there’s easy access to the Dublin Mountains. The Property Price Register shows this property selling for €440,000 in 2018.

VERDICT: Neat as a new pin.

Dreenagh, Co. Kerry
€290,000
Size	143 sq m (1,540 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	B3

Buyers who want to live in a pretty coastal home, which has energy efficient heating as well as sea views, often have to put in a lot of effort.

For those who want this type of property without the hardship of renovations, this three-bed bungalow at Dreenagh, near Ballyheigue in North Kerry, could be an option.

Selling agent Garry O’Driscoll says the property, which has Shannon estuary views and is located 8km from Ballyheigue beach, has just been given a complete overhaul by its current owners.

“Since buying it in 2020, they have put in triple glazed windows, composite doors, and also insulated the attic and pumped the cavity walls with insulation beads,” he says, adding that the BER has gone from a C3 to a B3.

“Originally built in the 2000s as a holiday home, it’s also been redecorated and is now sleek and modern,” Mr O’Driscoll adds, explaining that it offers 143 sq m of living space and is on a site of around half an acre.

Accommodation includes a kitchen/diner with high gloss units and a breakfast island, a utility room, and a sitting room with an archway opening into a sunroom area used as a second dining space at the rear and for admiring the sea views. There’s also a bathroom and three bedrooms, one en suite.

VERDICT: Attractive as an all year round home or for holidays.

Geashill, Co. Offaly
€400,000
Size	202 sq m (2,17 5sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	Exempt

The Old Garda Station in Geashill village in Offaly might make an unusual and unexpected residential option for a Dublin city commuter.

Attractively Victorian and redbrick, it was built as an agent’s house for local landowner Lord Digby in 1860, and became a Garda station after Independence before being converted into a four-bed home around four years ago.

Quoting a guide of €400,000, Philip Kelly of DNG Kelly Duncan says it’s impressively spacious as well as architecturally interesting and charming.

“The original clock was put back in the oculus window during renovations,’’ he reveals, noting that the property has attractive brick features and stone window surrounds and some 12 ft high ceilings.

The reorganising of the layout involved the creation of a kitchen/diner with grey quartz topped kitchen units and a centre island and of a sitting room with some exposed stone work, wainscoting, and a stove. Other accommodation include a bedroom, a utility room, and a bathroom with a roll top bath while the upstairs has three bedrooms and a bathroom.

A listed structure which is BER exempt, the property has been fitted with double glazing and oil fired/ solid fuel central heating. Occupying a site of almost a third of an acre, it’s in the centre of Geashill. “It’s just 14 km from Portarlington which is an hour’s train journey from Dublin,” reveals Mr Kelly.

VERDICT: Spacious and architecturally interesting, it might benefit from a name change.

Broadford, Co Clare
€450,000
Size	293 sq m (3,154 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	5
BER	C2

Offering views of Doon Lake and extra generous sized accommodation, Woodfield Lodge near Broadford in east Clare is expected to attract buyers from both Limerick city and Shannon.

Set on a site of over half an acre, it’s a significantly extended bungalow which has four en suite bedrooms as well three reception rooms, including two with large bow windows overlooking the lake.

John Clohessy of DNG O’Sullivan Hurley says the property was built in the 1980s and extended in 2005 by previous owners who put in large fish ponds at both front and rear and created a master bedroom with a sauna as well as an en suite.

There’s 293 sq metres of living space which includes two sunroom-style sitting rooms, a long dining room, a utility room, a guest WC, and a kitchen/ diner with cream marble topped units. Two of the property’s four en suite bedrooms are at the front and two have lake views at the rear.

Accessed by electric gates, Woodfield Lodge has mature, tree-lined gardens. At the front there’s a gravelled area with a cross shaped pond and, at the rear, a patio area with some timber outbuilding, a long rectangular fish pond, as well as an expanse of lawn.

“The property has elevated view of the lake and the countryside and is close to woodland walks,” says Mr Clohessy, noting that the location — 21 km from Limerick city and 20 km from Shannon makes it convenient for commuters.

VERDICT: Offers lake views and a lot of living space.