Whimsy, history and opportunity at €350,000 Marlogue Cottage in Cobh  

A can-do attitude and some building nous could make a wonderful job of this characterful home

Marlogue Cottage, Marlogue, Cobh

Cobh, Co Cork
€350,000
Size	149 sq m (1604 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	F

LIFE unfolds at its own pace at Marlogue Cottage, where sounds of a safe harbour filter up through the trees. Some of those trees are screening the sea view, but with a bit of clearance, future occupants of the cottage can look forward to seeing what they can hear.

Marlogue Cottage, Marlogue, Cobh

The property will require elbow grease, but if you appreciate a house with character, the potential return is tempting.

 The cottage dates to the 18th century and had adjoining stables. Local knowledge says it was a farmhouse, owned by the Welsh family.

 In the late 1990s, it was sold to the current owner by a local lady called Joan Fennelly who gave a young auctioneer her first break.

“Joan was a good friend of mine and she gave me my first break in Cobh, it was the very first house that I sold, and I sold it for €50,000,” says auctioneer Johanna Murphy of Johanna Murphy & Sons. The same agent is back selling it and is familiar with changes made.

The main change was the conversion of the stables into bedrooms.

 Their original usage is revealed by the presence of circular drinking troughs. A sunroom extension was built around the stable block. It’s a bit like what you might expect to find in a folk park.

The sunroom has a sunny, south-facing aspect, with lots of glazing and a little terrace off it, overlooking the charmingly rambling garden.

 Once some trees are removed, you’ll be looking at the sea too.

The original cottage has quirks typical of its era: a central, high-ceilinged room where the stove is nestled in a large hearth, with a couple of rooms off it, including a fitted kitchen, a bedroom, and a loft area.

The cottage is on 1.5 acres with some stone outbuildings and a chicken coop, and great scope to grow your own. Down a leafy laneway, it’s on the doorstep of Marlogue Woods and within a downhill walk to the shore — with some clearance needed.

 Ms Murphy, who is guiding the 149sq m cottage at €350,000, is seeing interest from first time buyers and people returning from overseas.

“It’s just an eight-minute drive to Cobh town and near Ballynoe village. It’s ideal for someone who wants to embrace country life, or it could be a fabulous Airbnb,” the agent says.

VERDICT: Oodles of potential for a buyer prepared to take on a project.