Lots of glass, lots of class at remodeled €795k Carrigtwohill farmhouse

A modern wing gave a new twist to a traditional farmhouse

Killacloyne, Carrigtwohill

Carrigtwohill, Co Cork
€795,000
Size	286 sq m (3,074 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	B2

AERIAL photos of this expansive Carrigtwohill home show just how much it has bulked up since the late Connie Deasy lived in what was a traditional farmhouse.

The original Killacloyne property, in Deasy family ownership for donkey’s years, was a long, narrow, three-up, three-down home. In 2018, it was handed down to Connie’s godson, Frank Deane, and together with his wife, Elaine, they set about turning it into the whopping 3,000sq ft property that it is today.

“The original house was a fair enough size, but it was a bit on the narrow side, so when we were looking at the drawings [for the extension] it made sense to go big. It didn’t cost much more at the time, but if we were to do it today, the prices have quadrupled,” Frank says.

In going big, they preserved the external form of the original farmhouse, adding a modern wraparound wing to the side and rear. Indoors is contemporary as it gets, with a couple of nods to Frank’s “home house” up the road.

“I wanted stoves, because we always had the fire on at home and it made the house cosy,” he says. One of those stoves is in a cosy lounge, the other is in the vast, open-plan kitchen/dining/ living room — almost like an atrium — designed so that the living room is not visible from the kitchen.

“That was my wife’s request; she didn’t necessarily want to be able to see the living room from the kitchen,” Frank says. Her view was of a great swathe of lawn, framed by full height windows and bifold doors, which open to a patio.

“It’s a seven-door patio, and one of the best things about the house has been entertaining in the summer months and having barbecues. It’s a great place for gatherings, and even during covid, everyone could keep their distance,” — helped in no small part by the generous 0.73-acre site, which includes a wild meadow section and a couple of beehives.

Builder Denis Dennehy delivered the extension to a design by Paul Reidy of Murphy New Homes, with engineer Dónal Kelleher acting as project manager. The finished property is full of eye-catching details, among them the principal bedroom. Corner-set full height windows give the impression that the first-floor bedroom is almost flush with the lawn.

 It’s a bit like the optical illusion of an infinity pool. There’s nothing illusory about the bedroom’s walk-in wardrobe: It’s a real statement.

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Selling this stylish, light-filled property is Shane Finn of DNG O’Connor Finn who says it’s “insulated up to its eyeballs”. The BER is a solid B2, heating is oil-fired, water is supplied via an air-to-water system.

Frank says it was a fantastic family home, but they are ready to downsize nearby, to what was a farm outbuilding, but is now their new home, with separate driveway entrance.

Mr Finn is guiding the house at €795,0000 and he describes it as “an exceptional opportunity to acquire a stunning home”, ideal for a family trading up. Just minutes from Carrigtwohill village, schools and retail are within a short stroll. Commuter trains run every 15 minutes from the village train station to Cork City, Cobh, and Midleton.

VERDICT: A house ready to accommodate busy family life with lots of space to spread out. Impressive glazing opens the house up to the outdoors. Quality finishes.