€650,000 sky-blue sanctuary a clear favourite in Ballyhassig 

There's character and charm at this blue-hued Éalú escape in Ballinhassig

Éalú, Ballinhassig

Ballinhassig, Co Cork
€650,000
Size	200sq m (2,142sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	D1

When you buy house on a winding country road and see it as your very own ‘escape to the country’ what else can you do but name it ‘Éalú’?

The owners, fans of ‘living the dream’ property shows, did just that with this four-bedroom sky-blue home at Ballinhassig outside Cork City.

“We’ve loved it here but it’s on to our next adventure, our two daughters are grown, and we’d like to travel,” says the owner.

They bought this detached home 20 years ago and have enjoyed its character-filled charms including a generous mezzanine over the kitchen and barbecue area in the back garden.

The owners added a vaulted ceiling extension at one end of what was once an old traditional farmhouse, giving a dual aspect living room filled with natural light — and with a solid fuel stove to keep things cosy.

Previous owners had already added an upstairs level with a gallery above the living area.

“This is my favourite spot in the house really, it’s just perfect for enjoying a gin and tonic or a cup of tea — you can hear everything that’s going on or smell the dinner being prepared but you’re a bit away from it all.”

This balcony style area was also popular with the owners’ children when they were little — it was used for lowering a string for ‘fishing’ for toys or for giving musical recitals.

Situated on a 0.3acre site near a country road which is “very quiet — it only gets ‘busy’ a couple of times of year when there’s ploughing or harvesting”, Éalú has a good-sized back garden with a patio area off the sun room.

Plenty of mature trees and shrubs keep this spot nicely private and give a lovely dappled light over parts of the lawn which has proven the perfect location for summer barbecues.

There are two bedrooms on the ground floor and two more on the upstairs level, along with an extra room suited for a home office or fifth bedroom.

And while it’s the countryside, it’s only a seven-minute spin from the lovely Pavillion Garden Centre and restaurant. And even closer — a two-minute drive — are The Workshop tea rooms at Ballygarvan where a certain Mr Brad Pitt may have enjoyed a cuppa very recently. Well it is only nine minutes from Cork Airport so that’s handy for any other celebs who may want to pop by as well as allowing for easy access to overseas trips for locals too.

Somewhat more mundanely but supremely usefully, Goggins Hill, Ballyheada, and Ballygarvan national schools are also only a few minutes away.

“Éalú enjoys a rural setting but has neighbours close by, it’s a beautiful detached family home in a peaceful but very convenient setting,” notes Scott O’Sullivan of Sherry FitzGerald, pointing out the quick access to Spur Hill (3.6km) and the Sarsfield Road Roundabout (5km away) which connects to ‘everywhere’.

The city centre is less then 10km away too.

The current owners insulated the attic eaves and dry-lined some of the bedrooms but new owners may want to upgrade that D1 BER of course.

The hit Escape to the Country TV series has been running for more than 20 years with swapping the city hustle and bustle for a dream rural retreat as a central theme the whole time. That dream theme could be a reality for the next owners of Éalú this summer.

VERDICT: Rural but definitely not remote, this could be the greatest escape for a lucky family.