Former Lord Mayor's childhood home brings vintage charm and panoramic views 

Five-bedroom Glanmire home with sweeping Cork views, generous living space and strong family history comes to market at €595,000

Mount Richard. Pictures: John Roche Photography

Glanmire, Cork
€595,000
Size	236sq m (2,433sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	3
BER	Pending

Family memories of this Glanmire home include passing plates through the serving hatch during parties and walks to Old Christians to play rugby.

Mount Richard, in the Lauriston/ Rathcooney area of Glanmire, is a five-bed detached house on 0.7 acres and family connections extend even to the name of the house.

It was built by a well-known Cork GP, Dr Norman Murphy, who had a practice at Knight’s Hill, Old Youghal Rd, for many decades — and he named the house as a tribute to his own father, Richard Patrick Murphy, who may be known to Cork folk of a certain vintage, because he ran the Variety Stores haberdashery at the Daunt Square end of Grand Parade.

Variety Stores shop on Daunt Square, in March 1967

Brian Murphy, one of Dr Murphy’s five children, says the 1970s-built property was a great family home and well set up for entertaining — ranging from grandparent visits on a Sunday to supper parties, and friends coming over to hang out. “It was a very popular house to go to, we had everything from birthday parties and games in the garden,” says Brian, whose older brother, Dara, is a former TD and former lord mayor of Cork.

This love for entertaining may have come from both sides of the family, as their mother, Rona (Ryan), was one of the Murphys who ran the Venue Bar on the other side of the city in Ballintemple.

The house is ‘of its time’, as evidenced by the textured, amber-glass internal panels and groovy (and very much back in fashion) tomato-red bathroom sink. But the views looking across to the southside of the city have definitely stood the test of time. There are four large living rooms downstairs, with sliding pocket doors linking two of the rooms.

Upstairs, via a landing with a large stained-glass window, four of the five bedrooms are doubles and the main bedroom has an en-suite bedroom and a balcony with views of the south-facing back garden.

There’s an electric gate to the front of the house and plenty of mature shrubs and trees.

Located only a short drive from Glanmire village, Mount Richard is about 10 minute’s drive from the city centre and is convenient for the Dunkettle Interchange, allowing great connectivity.

“You’ve got panoramic views and extremely versatile living and bedroom accommodation here — this house has excellent convenience, without compromising on space or privacy,” says Paul Fenton of Sherry FitzGerald.

Mount Richard is guided at €595,000.

VERDICT: There’s immense potential for modern updates, but the real ‘keeper’ features are the views, the south-facing back garden, and the privacy here.