A modern Monkstown classic with vintage looks on the market for €825k 

Tee up for a laid back lifestyle, says Catherine Shanahan

Parkgarriff Lodge, Laurel Hill, Monkstown

Monkstown, Co Cork
€825,000
Size	221sq m (2,379sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	B3

A dive into the Irish Examiner Property archive turns up a wealth of detail about Parkgarriff Lodge. When it last changed hands 10 years ago, the accompanying article revealed that despite its vintage look, it is in fact a 21st century build (2005), albeit inspired by the original former lodge to the big house in the Parkgarriff Estate.

That original big house, known, predictably, as Parkgarriff House, was once home to the landowning Cagney family and it’s where one of Ireland’s greatest pianists, the late Charles Edgeworth Cagney Lynch was born in 1906. The house burned down in the 1950s, and a replacement building on the estate grounds later became Monkstown Golf Club’s club house. The golf course itself is on the former estate lands.

What all of this boils down to is if you are a golfer — and ideally, also, a retiree — Parkgarriff Lodge, by the 10th tee, is your dream downsizer. Conversely, if you are parents of the next Rory McElroy and dreaming of adding a green jacket to your wardrobe, the potential stage where greatness can be shaped is on your doorstep. The parkland golf course cannot be accessed directly from your garden, but a couple of right turns from the garden gate will see you there in jig time.

Parkgarriff Lodge, on one third of an acre of tastefully landscaped grounds with mature woodland to the rear and a babbling brook on its fringes, is a modern take on the original cross-shaped lodge, re-imagined for contemporary living by Skibbereen architect Denis O’Donovan, with stone masons brought up from West Cork to work on its exterior. The original had been owned and lived in during the 1990s by the late, great sportswriter Val Dorgan, who built anew in its side garden, before selling the original in the noughties. New owners opted to knock and rebuild in 2005 — which is the house you see now.

At a roomy 221sq m, the four-bed is an attractive option for families looking to trade up out of three bed semis, perhaps from the nearby Rochestown Rd or from Carrigaline. It’s in excellent decorative order and has some very nice design features, including a vaulted ceiling with rooflights over the dining section of the spacious, open plan, light-filled kitchen/dining room. A large apex rooflight over the landing and hall area was an inspired decision too, in this house of curved walls, sloping ceilings, and sunlit nooks.

Selling it is Kevin O’Sullivan of Barry Auctioneers and he says it’s “high end stuff”. For sure, it’s ever so well done, with a B3 energy rating to boot and really good gardens with plenty of sitting out areas, not to mention the babbling brook, just about audible when patio doors are open.

Mr O’Sullivan says the house on Laurel Hill is only about half a mile from Monkstown village and a short spin to Carrigaline, while Rochestown Rd is just a five-minute drive over the hill. The nearby Demesne of Monkstown Castle (once the golf course clubhouse) is a lovely spot for a stroll and the village itself caters for sailors, golfers, and tennis players.

The guide price for Parkgarriff Lodge is €825,000.

VERDICT: Comfort, privacy, and tranquility on offer at his lifestyle buy. A real one of a kind, perfect for a family of upsizers or downsizing golfers who like to entertain.