City to Country: Renovated 19th century hunting lodge in Tinahely or scenic coastal views at Glenbeigh thatched cottage

Take your pick from the city to sea views, writes Trish Dromey

Grouse Lodge Tinahely

South Circular Rd, Dublin 8
€550,000
Size	79 sq m (852 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	F

Being on a corner site, the owners of No 31 Saint Thomas Road, South Circular Road in Dublin 8 are luckier than many of their neighbours in having an off street parking space at the side.

A 1920s-built two-bed semi, the property is new to the market with Felicity Fox auctioneers who are guiding it at €550,000.

“It’s very well maintained, has garden space which could be used for an extension and is well located within a 20-minute walk from St Stephen’s Green and Christchurch,” says auctioneer Alastair Hickey.

Making good use of the space available to them, the owners have put a desk in the understairs area so they can use the hallway as a home office. At the front there’s a laminate floored living room with sliding doors opening into a dining room beyond it. To the rear there’s a small kitchenette extension with shaker style units.

The upstairs has a bathroom and two bedrooms, both with original cast iron fireplaces.

While the property is well maintained and owner occupied, the energy rating is an F so it will require an energy upgrade.

The house has a small garden at the front, a parking space at the side and a small patio garden with a shed at the rear.

“ The location is mature, very convenient to the city centre and close to a variety of local shops and restaurants,’’ says Mr Hickey.

VERDICT: The parking space is a significant plus.

Tinahely, Co Wicklow
€550,000
Size	147 sq m (1,582 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	C3

Designed to resemble a 19th-century hunting lodge and used as a bridal suite for a local wedding venue, Grouse Lodge at Tinahely in the Wicklow woods is a most romantic property.

Nestled on a wooded site of close to six acres, it was built on the site of an old cottage in 2013 and has since been used to accommodate newlyweds celebrating their nuptials at nearby Ballybeg House.

Now on offer with a guide of €550,000, it’s an attractive stone-faced property, filled with old style features but fully equipped with modern creature comforts; fitted with under floor heating and double glazing, it has C3 energy rating.

Spacious for a two-bed property with 147 sq metres of living space, it has a large kitchen/ living room with a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, a stone fireplace, and country kitchen units with a range and a Belfast sink. There’s also a sunroom and a dining room with exposed stone walls, a suitably old world utility room, and two en suite bedrooms.

The master bedroom for the newlyweds has a vaulted ceiling with a chandelier, a fireplace, and in one corner, a cast iron bathtub.

The grounds are mostly wooded but there’s a lawned area and, under a large oak tree, an outdoor hot tub.

VERDICT: How romantic is that?

Glenbeigh, Co Kerry
€480,000
Size	138 sq m (1,485 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	D2

A picture postcard thatched cottage with scenic coastal views, Sea Lodge at Commaun near Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry is the type of Irish property that overseas buyers will catch a plane to come and view.

It was bought and renovated by US owners who lived in it for a time before using it as a holiday let. Listing it with a guide of €480,000, Darragh Burns of Jim Burns Auctioneers says it’s an attractive property with beautiful gardens and fantastic views. “You can see out onto the Caragh River Valley across to the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula,’’ he reveals.

Offering 138 sq metres of living space, the property is made up of two separate thatched cottages. The main one, Sea Lodge, has both a traditional living room with a vaulted ceiling and an inglenook fireplace and a well-equipped modern kitchen with navy blue shaker style units. 

A sun room has been added on at the rear and the cottage also has bathroom, two bedrooms including one en suite. The smaller guest cottage beside has two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Set against a rugged mountain backdrop the property has sloping mature gardens filled with colourful flowering shrubs including some pink and red azaleas. Accessed through an electric gate and a gravelled drive, the property also has a large converted barn used as a gym.

Located 5km from Glenbeigh village and 8km from Rossbeigh strand, Sea Lodge is perfectly situated for holidays.

VERDICT: It’s the type of property that could do awfully well on Airbnb.

Ardnacrusha, Co Clare
€449,000
Size	186 sq m (2,002 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	A2

Spacious and rural as well as modern and highly energy efficient, this detached four-bed property at Castlebank, Ardnacrusha, is located just seven kms from Limerick city centre.

“It’s perfect for trade up buyers, but we are also getting viewings with Dublin buyers returning to the area,” says John Phelan of Harry Brann auctioneers who is seeking offers of €499,000.

It’s a single-storey residence which, by design, looks more modern cottage than bungalow. Built in 2021, it resembles two connected cottages and has large triple glazed windows and an air to water heating system which gives it an A2 energy rating.

The site extends to almost half an acre and is enclosed at the sides by fencing which, quite unusually, is made of slanted timber posts rather than perpendicular ones.

One wing of the property is given over to a huge modern kitchen/ dining/ living room with laminated oak flooring, navy blue kitchen units with oak worktops and a breakfast counter. Off the living space there’s a study/home office and a utility room while the other wing has a modern tiled bathroom and four bedrooms — one with an en suite.

The gardens are lawned and have a gravel driveway, some large mature trees at one side and, outside the kitchen/ diner, a south facing patio.

You can catch a bus to the city from within 50 metres of the property, reveals Mr Phelan.

VERDICT: Rural, but set within a 15 minute drive/bus ride of the city, it’s distinctive, energy efficient, and spacious.