Bonus points in the bag at €795k rugger-hugging Ballintemple home

Cork Constitution rugby grounds are right next door to No 63 Aylesbury, a family-friendly, everything-at-the-ready semi-d

Go for the corner at No 63 Aylesbury, in the Cork city suburb of Ballintemple

Ballintemple, Cork
€795,000
Size	146 sq m (1572 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	A2

A REPRIEVE from the plague of rain, and tentative signs of spring are just what the doctor ordered to shake off a sluggish start to the 2026 house sale market.

After a month or two of slim pickings — with some notable exceptions — more and more quality properties are starting to trickle in. Some are what those in the industry call ‘des res’, shorthand for ‘desirable residence’, like this one, No 63 Aylesbury in the favoured Cork City ’burb of Blackrock/Ballintemple.

One of a 74-unit Centurion Homes development that launched in 2018, it has an easy-on-the-eye house design by Kinsale architect Richard Rainey, and a claim to fame as the first estate in Cork to use St Ives Cream Rustica, the mellow Belgian brick that gives the scheme its distinctive look.

When the estate was first launched, the biggest detached homes were guiding mid-€700,000s: Today, four-bed semis at Aylesbury easily surpass those prices. In January, No 61 sold for €860,000; it was marginally smaller than No 63. Nor did its rear garden have as good an orientation: It faces north, while No 63 is blessed with facing west.

West-facing rear at No 63

As Lawrence Sweeney of Savills sold No 61 and is now selling its near neighbour, he can helpfully pinpoint the differences.

“No 63 is six feet longer at the back and you can definitely notice the difference. It can take a bigger suite of furniture and it’s a more practical living space,” the agent says.

Longer rear annexe at No 63

Why this semi-D enjoys the benefit of a larger rear annex than other homes in the development is unclear, but perhaps it’s down to where it is in the estate — right at the back of the five-acre site, tucked into the corner of a cul-de-sac, with nowhere to go unless you vault the wall into Cork Constitution FC.

Cork Con's playing pitches are right next door

 The rugby club’s playing pitches are right next door, a guaranteed green space on your doorstep.

For rugby households, it doesn’t get much better if the dream is for kids to make their own way to weekend training.

The vendor of No 63 recalls “one particularly special memory during covid, when an under-20s cup match took place nearby and a proud mother was able to watch her son play from our bedroom window, a moment that captures how uniquely positioned this home is”.

Ringside seat to the rugby

The current owners moved in during the pandemic and Aylesbury’s centrality made it a winner. Douglas village and Cork city centre are walkable in 20 minutes “and for sports lovers, the location is second to none”.

“In the past six years, we’ve attended more matches than in the previous 20, with Páirc Uí Rinn, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and Cork Constitution quite literally on our doorstep.”

Keeping up to speed on match progress could be done from the back garden — sudden crescendos, collective roars, gasps, groans, ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs” were as telling as any match commentary.

 It was arguably more enjoyable too, especially in sunny weather, as the garden was professionally landscaped by The Pavilion garden centre in Ballygarvan. 

A combination of decking (using the same non-slip wood-effect tile as used indoors), gravel, and tastefully planted raised beds, it’s a fully-enclosed, lawn mower-free zone that captures the sun — when there’s sun to be had — from midday onwards.

Out front is cobble-locked and there’s an e-car charger.

If outdoors sets the bar high, indoors clears it. 

High-spec is the theme, from the bespoke Cullen View kitchen with eye-catching cabinetry and sleek “waterfall” worktops, to the Casey’s of Cork engineered timber flooring in each of the four upstairs double bedrooms, to the plantation shutters throughout.

 Then there are the practicalities — like the cost of keeping a 146sq m home warm and comfortable at a time when half the world is on fire and energy costs are rocketing.

Fortunately, No 63 is heated by an air source heat pump — so not reliant on fossil fuels. The BER is a super A2 and heating at ground level is underfloor.

About two dozen parties booked in for first viewings of this immaculate home and Mr Sweeney expects a similar buyer profile to No 61.

“We had a lot of medics and academics and I would expect similar here, as well as people from legal and tech backgrounds. Generally, people trading up, but also some recently returned from Dublin, who are currently renting, or who are planning their return to Cork and are house hunting,” the agent says, adding that families are likely to dominate “some of whom will want to be in ahead of the next school term in September”.

The guide price for No 63 is €795,000.

VERDICT: There could be a scrum for this tasty home.