A distinctive rural idyll in Innishannon for €980k

Inverbrinny, Innishannon, Co Cork

Innishannon, Co Cork
€980,000
Size	300sq m (3,229sq ft)
Bedrooms	6
Bathrooms	5
BER	C

Viewers of Inverbrinny, near Innishannon, will have to decide for themselves whether its greatest asset is the three acres of mature, beautifully landscaped gardens or the 150-metre stretch of waterfront along the River Brinny.

For the owner, who bought the property 25 years ago, after returning to Ireland to retire following many years in the UK, it was the combination of setting, river frontage, and potential that proved impossible to resist.

He says: “Because of the woodland surrounding it, you would hardly know it is here. It offers complete privacy and has a babbling brook, which you can sit by.”

Originally built in the 1960s, Inverbrinny was run-down and considerably smaller than the substantial, six-bedroom residence it is today, when he and his wife purchased it.

“It had been built by a local doctor, and even now some locals still call it Dr Ryder’s House,” says the owner, explaining that he and his wife worked hard to make it their own.

The most significant alteration to the two-storey, cedar-clad property was the addition of a single-storey extension, incorporating an extra spacious living/dining room with a dramatic, double-height ceiling.

A walnut-floored room, it has an exposed ceiling beam, a fireplace, and large windows to frame the garden views. The ceiling beams were added to replicate the look of the owners’ previous home, a Tudor-style property in the UK, and, for extra effect, they put a suit of armour in one corner.

“It’s a great entertaining space and has been wonderful for Christmas gatherings,” they say.

The original layout was reconfigured, with the entire upper floor becoming a spacious principal bedroom suite.

Alongside it is a long sitting room that has a stone fireplace and a large window overlooking the gardens. It is a cosy retreat for watching TV. There is also a kitchenette and an upgraded bathroom with hand-painted Spanish tiles.

At ground level, the accommodation includes a spacious kitchen fitted with oak cabinetry and a substantial central island, together with a study, utility room, a bathroom, and four bedrooms, two of which are en suite.

Some years ago, the owners converted the original, attached garage into a self-contained apartment with a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. They subsequently added a detached double garage with two solar panels.

Inverbrinny’s triangular-shaped site features lawns, pathways, hedging, fencing, and a multitude of trees that provide seasonal colour, including laburnum, cherry blossom, lilac, and rhododendron. There is also a small orchard, a grove of 40 silver birch trees and a circular rose garden.

Along the western boundary is the tree-lined stretch of frontage on the Brinny, from where the owner says it is possible to paddle downstream by canoe to the River Bandon.

Enclosed, in part, by a stone wall and bordered by both woodland and river, the property enjoys a peaceful rural setting, just a four-minute drive from Innishannon and c 24km from Cork City.

“Inverbrinny offers a superb blend of luxury, privacy, and countryside living and is within easy reach of Cork city centre, Cork Airport, UCC, CUH, MTU and Kinsale,” says Mark Kelly of Sherry FitzGerald who is seeking offers in excess of €980,000 for the residence and its extensive grounds.

VERDICT: A distinctive country home, combining privacy, mature gardens, and river frontage with generous family accommodation and a self-contained apartment, all within convenient reach of Cork city.