Four homes in Ballinhassig, Victoria Road, Whites Cross, and Carrigadrohid from €395,000

Three County Cork homes and a docklands-adjacent Cork city home

Clockwise from upper left: Ballinphelic, Ballinhassig, Co. Cork; 2 Kingston Avenue, Victoria Road, Cork; Fuchsia, Whites Cross, Co. Cork; Valley View House, Carrigadrohid, Co. Cork

Ballinhassig, Co. Cork
€795,000
Size	242 sq m (2605 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	A3

This house was built in 2016 but the planning and research began long before that — and then there were nips and tucks and tweaks along the way to to get it just right.

A significant portion of the design-spec for this Ballinhassig A-rated detached home was to make light the ‘hero feature’. The brief was to bring to the light inside as much as possible — creating windows especially to catch the sun at various times.

The owner, a fashion buyer, says: “The house permanently gets the light but we had a window specially installed at the top of the stairs to frame the setting sun. And the kitchen island/bar counter overlooks the meadow and it’s gorgeous to have the sun spilling in there in the mornings.”

And two patios were built to allow the occupants and guests to follow the sun throughout the day and evening.

“One patio was built for barbecues essentially, we had constant bbqs on the patio — it was ‘party central’ and often had 40-50 people there. The south-east facing patio gets the morning and afternoon sun and then you can move to the one on the west side for the evening sun.”

Designed by architect David Kennedy, the house sits on 0.75 of an acre and is surrounded by fields — often with horses and cows just over the boundary.

The huge picture window and large sliding doors in the kitchen were carefully planned to bring the ‘outside in’ — the patio is a continuation of the inside essentially, notes Scott O’Sullivan of Sherry FitzGerald. How very Dermot Bannon.

“Actually I was at an event in Cork and showed the plans to Dermot, we had a mutual friend, and he was very impressed with them,” says the owner.

Tiles with the same appearance were used downstairs and outside on the patio — just with the anti-slip version for the outdoor ones.

Some practicalities include built-in storage under the window seats in the main living area, and the lawn is wired for a robot mower so outdoors time can be down time. 

VERDICT: To paraphrase the song ‘give me light, lots of light’ — that call has been more than answered here.

Victoria Road, Cork City
€395,000
Size	79 sq m (850 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	B3

Start with listing all the bougie attractions and conveniences with this Docklands-adjacent home and you’ll never have room to get in the door here.

No 2 Kingston Avenue on Cork city’s Victoria Road is the ultimate city-centre-adjacent house, while still retaining the best of a neighbourhood character.

There is forethought, energy and money — €353 million in Government funds and around €500 million in private sector funds — being pumped into developing the nearby docklands. Early signs of this regeneration include the bustling Marina Promenade and all the parkland around it. There are trendy delis and cosy bistros — Sonny’s Deli, Salt, Cortado, Basil — in every direction. And with food and treat offerings galore at the Marina Market and the Black Market you could keep your kitchen ‘box fresh’ for years.

Built in 1895 this three-bed mid-terrace Victorian home near the Elysian and its ground-floor supermarket has been nicely renovated while still hanging onto some original features such as the hand-painted front exterior tilework.

VERDICT: A ‘village feel’ during the day and ‘city lights’ at night. Your commute could well be a 15-minute walk or cycle.

Whites Cross, Co Cork
€595,000
Size	169 sq m (1819 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	B3

Here's a great spot to keep in mind if you’re looking for the quiet charm of the countryside without sacrificing the energy and amenities of Cork city which is just a brief drive away. And four-bed detached Fuchsia at Whites Cross makes the best of both worlds.

The 20-year old dormer home has been a busy family home and is on the market as the owners are now downsizing. While they didn’t extend the already spacious house, they did reconfigure it and added some upgrades along the way: “We added triple glazing and actually turned a fifth bedroom into a laundry room.

Parents of teenagers who are already unofficially converting their rooms into laundry heaps will be envious of the very decent-sized and supremely neat laundry room here now.

“It’s a beautiful area and very peaceful but still near schools and Whites Cross GAA and we’re really close to Ballyvolane too.”

Carrignavar primary school is 5.1 km away and and Upper Glanmire National School is 2.5km away.

The large patio area has been the go-to spot for quiet elevenses as well as larger gatherings of 60-plus guests for confirmations and communions.

There’s farmland behind this house which enjoys rural tranquility: “We had a Spanish student here and she was amazed to see the family of foxes in the garden and the rabbits there in the evening,” says the owner.

Paul Fenton of Sherry FitzGerald said: “Fuchsia is a very well-presented family home which is definitely conveniently located to enjoy all the benefits of countryside living, despite being only a short drive to Cork city.”

VERDICT: A peaceful countryside lifestyle possible here, while keeping the convenience of being just a short drive from the heart of Cork city.

Carrigadrohid, Co Cork
€795,000
Size	272 sq m (2928 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	D1

Less of a traditional bungalow and more of a single-storey super-modern villa, this home has nailed it with its name.

Valley View House in Carrigadrohid definitely has sweeping views out over the historic Lee valley from all its general living space, and is priced at €795,000 by estate agents O’Mahony Walsh.

Inside it’s future ready, with cutting-edge smart home technology including: fully wired Cat 6 network connected to a dedicated communications cabinet, alongside 2 gigabyte fibre broadband and an advanced UniFi Pro WiFi system ensuring fast, reliable connectivity; there’s also a Philips Hue mood lighting system; Nest smoke, heat, and humidity detection system; a fully wired home cinema setup including a 70-inch cinema-grade TV, in-ceiling surround sound speakers, and an integrated multi-room audio system.

Valley Views House has a west-facing patio at the back so you’ve got the setting sun providing the visual backdrop and there’s an outdoor Bose sound system for the audio. The main bedroom has an en suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. Two other bedrooms are doubles and the fourth is currently in use as a home gym.

There’s an added sense of security with a Hikvision access control system with intercom and camera, and a full 4K CCTV system.

You’re half an hour from Cork city and Cork airport, while Ballincollig and Macroom are both commutable and socialising distances away also.

The showstopper element for Mark Walsh of O’Mahony Walsh is the vista: “The view out over the Lee Valley is absoutely beautiful, a real standout feature.”

VERDICT: Premium tech and panoramic views are a top tier combo at this Lee Valley home.