Waterside family-ready commuter home in Monkstown

Travel time to the city is about 20 minutes by car, or you can travel more sustainably, by greenway, which starts at nearby Passage West and runs into Blackrock.

3 Rock Lodge, Monkstown, Cork

Monkstown, Co Cork
€895,000
Size	269 sq m (2895 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	4
BER	C1

When Monkstown’s No 4 Rock Lodge appeared in Irish Examiner Property last year, we noted its commanding estuarine views and its need for a modern makeover.

As the same property has since gone sale agreed, its prospective owner might wish to see what a successful re-model looks like. They need only knock on the neighbour’s door: No 3 came through its revamp with impressive results.

With nothing to block your line of sight to the water, it would be criminal to squander such a prospect, so the owners of No 3 made sure not to do so when renovating their home. After buying it 15 or so years ago, they built on a substantial two-storey extension with large picture windows to frame the views.

A kitchen, utility, and snug were added to the ground floor and upstairs gained two bedrooms, including the main, with en suite and separate dressing room.

Daytime accommodation was sensibly arranged and kitchen/dining/living runs the width of the house, spanning the rear elevation, parallel to the harbour. Doors slide open from each of these areas to an outdoor viewing platform that faces south east, over the estuary. Large windows overlook it too from three of the first-floor bedrooms. The only rooms to miss out are the few that face Laurel Hill, the access road to No 3.

Having gone ‘sale agreed’ on neighbouring No 4 at its guide price of €670,000, Stuart O’Grady of Sherry FitzGerald is back selling No 3. Its guide price is €895,000, which reflects the bigger size of the property (80sq m bigger) and how good looking it is: No 3 is as contemporary as No 4 is dated.

New owners will have nothing to do, unless they fancy dickying up the terraced rear garden, overlooked by a large, raised patio with super views. In the lower garden, a path winds through shrubbery to a covered viewing area that overlooks the water.

Landscaping is very evident at the road-facing front, where a patio leads up to the front door.

Mr O’Grady says the finish at No 3 is “exceptional”, from tall picture windows with low-level sills framing the views, to the double-height landing, to the sleek kitchen and string of sliding doors to the viewing deck.

“Then there are the private outdoor spaces, the abundance of natural light and the outstanding views, which all add up to a truly impressive home,” he says. Its Monkstown location is a bonus: Tennis, sailing and golf are all catered for.

It’s in the pipeline too for a Cinnamon Cottage, a bakery/deli/catering business that has operated successfully in the suburb of Rochestown and is now branching out, replacing Napoli Coffee and Wine Bar.

Mr O’Grady says early interest in No 3 is from upsizers looking to return to Cork or to relocate from within Cork City. Travel time to the city is about 20 minutes by car, or you can travel more sustainably, by greenway, which starts at nearby Passage West (where there’s also a cross-river ferry) and runs into Blackrock.

VERDICT: No 3, a stylish, ready-to-go family home, will appeal to those for whom a waterside location and commutability to Cork City are key.