Award-winning Quaker Court offers rare Cork City homes for €585k each
Hideaway homes off city's Quaker Road were designed by architect Pat Nash
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Cork City Centre |
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€585,000 |
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Size |
88 sq m (954 sq ft) |
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Bedrooms |
2 |
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Bathrooms |
3 |
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BER |
A3 |
Picking up a gong in the 2025 Cork Business Association’s Better Buildings Award as Best New Development is Quaker Court, an infill development of seven houses on a challenging and previously long derelict urban site.
And, for those who missed out the niche, quality scheme’s launch first round, the good news for home-hunters at either end of the age scale is “it’s not too late to back a winner.”
But, that chance does come at a price: we’re talking €585,000 a pop, and that’s for the last three two-beds of just under 90 sq metres, or c 950 sq ft. However, at that they are each detached, A-BER rated, fully finished, and the planting (by Sublime Landscaping) is even more bedded in than when the seven went to market, as fully finished entities, in November 0f 2023.
Four are sold, mostly up the front at street level on Quaker Road, and “there was a bit of a bun fight for the three front ones, as they qualified for the Help to Buy scheme,” says estate agent Suzanne Tyrrell of Cohalan Downing, pointing out the Help to Buy threshold in Cork is €500,000.
No7 Quaker Road, a two-bed townhouse made €410k, No 8 a one-bed duplex fetched €375, a two-bed townhouse No 9 made an even an even €400k, and just one of the four cube-like detacheds, No 3 Quaker Court made €585,000.
Three of that latter type, set further back in on the site which came with development challenges that had to be overcome by a trio of niche developers, now remain and they continue to be pitched at better-heeled first time buyers who want a walk-in order, architect-designed home in such a handy southside setting with parking (and electric car charge points), as well as at an older demographic, likely traders down.
“There’s practically nothing at all like this in the city, done to such a standard,” says Ms Tyrrell, saying she meets traders-down on the hunt who also have been looking at the likes of Altus in Sunday Well, Lancaster Gate and Blackrock Hall — all of which are apartment schemes “and many seem to feel that apartment living is not for them.”
Some of the reactions from that cohort to Quaker Court is that those trading down still want a bit more space than the relatively open space here at these c 950 sq ft detacheds, which each have two en suite bedrooms with built-ins, as well as fitted kitchens and utility with appliances, and a guest WC plus compact private outdoor spaces.
The CBA award win should put the remaining three secure, turn-key detacheds back on the radar of 2025 house hunters, she suggests and confirms prices haven’t changed, up or down, since first launched over a year ago.
Design is by architect Pat Nash of Doyle McDonagh Nash, and Quaker Court won through as a new project that positively impacts the city’s landscape, marking innovative design, sustainable practices and thoughtful integration with the surrounding area.
“Working within the confines of an impossibly tight South Parish infill site, the development and architecture team have delivered seven stunning, grade A-homes with landscaped gardens less that a 10-minute walk from Patrick Street,” said Clara O’Neill, who heads the CBA City Centre 2030 Committee and oversees its Better Building Awards.
Another judge described Quaker Court and 7 to 9 Quaker Road as “a strong example of a high quality infill residential scheme in the heart of the inner city suburbs. A modern and sympathetic addition to the street.”
Judges were Ashleigh Murray, Cork City Council’s, an executive architectural conservation officer and former chair of the London chapter of the Irish Georgian Society; Gwen Jordan, senior executive planner with Cork City Council since 2005, currently overseeing development proposals and planning applications for Cork City Centre and south-central area; Shane Clarke, CEO of Garden City Culture, a previous CEO of Nano Nagle Place when it won a Council of Europe Museum Prize, in 2022, and Lawrence Owens, director of the Cork Business Association and well known for a long-serving retail career as general manager of Roches Stores and, later, Debenhams.
Among the other winners were a Barrack Street housing development (Best City Living), Elizabeth Fort (Best Tourism and Arts) the new Mango store on St Patrick Street (Best Retail,) Savills at Penrose Wharf (Best Commercial Premises) and the Mercy Hospital, in the heritage and conservation category, including restoration of the Mercy’s Mansion House historic entrance.
: Quaker Court is in top city company.
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