Charm and war telegrams under the thatch at €275k Glantane cottage

Whimsy meets history in a pastoral setting

Glantane, Mallow

Mallow, Co Cork
€275,000
Size	119 sq m (1280 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	3
BER	N/A

YOU’D half expect a rabbit in a waistcoat to greet you at The Thatch in Glantane, such is its whimsy and charm.

In fact, it was bought by a real-life couple two years ago.

One of their first tasks was to have the thatch re-done. They were able to source a thatcher with relative ease, as thatched homes remain a feature of the Blackwater Valley area. It took more than a week to do, and the result is masterful: Folk art and practical magic rolled into one.

When the couple bought the house in 2023, it had been renovated by previous owners 20 years earlier but was vacant for a considerable time.

The interior has a medieval feel, although the house is not much more than 100 years old. 

It’s known locally as Finnegan’s Cottage and selling agent Johanna Murphy, of Johanna Murphy & Sons, says it was a meeting place for units of the Lombardstown Volunteers in the lead-in to the War of Independence, with Liam Lynch a frequent visitor.

“When the house was refurbished, they found Volunteer telegrams hidden in the thatch,” the owners say.

The current owners did quite a bit of “freshening up” and site clearance.

“All the utilities are in place and in good order,” they say.

New owners will still have a good bit of work to do but there are grants of up to €50,000 for a vacant property. There’s also a thatching grant and insurance is in place.

Previous owners extended the cottage and added a patio.

Ms Murphy says if new owners wanted to extend further, there’s a good example nearby of a modern extension added to a thatched cottage “which complements it and brings it into the 21st century”.

Glantane, near Mallow, is about a 30-minute drive from Cork City. The 119 sq m home is on the market with a €275,000 guide price.

VERDICT: Could be quirky Airbnb or starter home. It deserves committed owners. It has fairytale charm, but PVC windows and doors need to go.