Wraparound window is one of the 'wows' at €670k Blarney home

Views, landscaping and a selection of sitting out areas are part of the package at extended Meadow Gate 

Expansive countryside views from extended Meadow Gate in Ballygibbon, Blarney

Blarney, Co Cork
€670,000
Size	188 sq m (2024 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	B2

MEADOW Gate as it is now is not how it started out when it was built in 2004.

Back then, there was little to distinguish this Ballygibbon home, outside Blarney, from your typical Irish countryside bungalow. That all changed somewhere along the way when its then owner ditched the standard rectangular floor plan in favour of various projections to the front and rear. 

A substantial stone-clad porch with pretty sash windows was added to the front and two parallel single-storey extensions were added to the rear. 

Porch extension with sash windows

Parallel rear extensions

A large detached garage (41sq m) was built to the side of the house.

The cumulative effect of the bungalow extensions was a 53sq m gain, which translated into a tremendously impressive open plan kitchen/dining/family room with wraparound triple-glazed floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the landscaped garden and surrounding countryside.

Open plan kitchen, dining, living

 The windows incorporate a sliding door that opens onto an Indian sandstone patio.

 A south-west facing aspect is the cherry on top.

“The beautiful views from the windows of this room is what drew us to the house,” says the current owner who bought it in 2018. “Because we’re surrounded by countryside, you can really see the seasons unfold across the farmland, from ploughed fields to new growth to harvests.

“It’s very picturesque and we really got to enjoy it this summer because we got to sit out a lot,” the owner adds.

A second rear extension transformed the main bedroom, which now opens, via floor-to-ceiling sliding double doors, onto a courtyard area, created by the parallel rear extensions. In this sheltered courtyard you will find a brick-finished fireplace and barbecue.

Double doors from extended bedroom lead to a courtyard

 Back inside, the extended bedroom meant there was room for a dressing room and an en suite.

The added garage has three sections: the garage itself, a storeroom to the side, and a gym accessed from the rear.

Meadow Gate was very much the finished product when the current owners bought it and any changes they made were purely decorative, including a new herring bone floor and upgrades to the main bathroom.

It comes to market in turnkey condition and selling agent Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald says the four-bed property, set on almost half an acre (0.47a), has been “beautifully finished, with an exceptional level of detail”.

“Moreover, it has an impressive B2 energy rating, making it eligible for a green mortgage rate,” Ms Healy adds. 

For pet lovers, there’s a secure dog run with water and electricity.

Just five minutes by car from Blarney, Meadow Gate is near the N20 Cork/Limerick road and Blackpool and Cork City are easily accessed. It’s also close to Whitechurch, which has a state-of-the-art primary school, while a nearby community centre has an array of sporting facilities, as well as a Montessori pre-school.

VERDICT: Well thought out extensions transformed Meadow Gate into a very attractive family home.

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