Iconic €550,000 Cloyne property transformed in to modern turnkey family home

Historic character blended with modern essentials

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026 - 13:00

Caroline Delaney

Cloyne, Co. Cork
€550,000
Size	231 sq m (2486 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

It might finally be time for a recess or ‘sos beag’ at this Cloyne home.

Work of an educational or a physical nature has been going on here for the past 200-plus years.

What later became known as College House was built in 1807 as a base for the Bishop Crow’s Charity School for Protestant boys. Ten boys at a time stayed for up to three years and became apprentices to bakers, tailors, grocers, millers, shoemakers, and printers.

The current owners bought the house eight years ago and worked hard to make it a modern, bright, family home.

Deirdre, an interior architect, and Ian, an engineer, had been living in Britain for years and were keen to come back to Ireland as their eldest was starting secondary school.

“We always liked old houses — though this was the oldest of all our homes by far. It had its ‘soul’ taken out, as there had been plans to convert it to a nursing home and we just thought it would be a wonderful project to restore it to a family home,” says Deirdre.

This involved redoing all the plumbing, electrics, and heating — as well as “making the two living rooms more comfortable”.

There was a hair salon in one section near the side entrance.

“We opened all that back up and one big job was stripping the stairs, which was under about 20 layers of paint.”

With three children, it was handy to have thick walls and two good-sized living rooms, separated by the hallway.

The “hugely thick” walls have all been drylined and insulated, bringing the energy rating from a D to a respectable C1. If new owners installed solar panels, then this could well go higher, notes Deirdre.

The family did offer AirBnB rooms here for a while, so it’s possible that a new owner may consider this, too: “And while we imagine a family would want this home, there is precedent here, too, for a business downstairs — I always thought a coffee shop would be great here.”

To the side of the property, there’s a private, gated entrance onto secure off-street parking and an EV charging point.

This side entrance leads to the living room, which was used primarily by the teens and young adult of the house.

And at the back of the house is a large, sunny garden that has seen plenty of barbecues over recent years: “You have the sun at the front in the mornings and then, around to the back later in the day, the garden is big enough that you have sun in different areas throughout the whole day.”

The selling agent, James Colbert, of Colbert & Co, salutes this space, too: “One of the standout features of College House is its exceptional outdoor space. To the rear is a generous, sun-drenched garden, offering an ideal setting for outdoor dining, gardening, entertaining, or simply relaxing in a private and peaceful environment.”

Inside, there’s an attractive blend of old style and modern comfort, with original, ornate slate fireplace with a cast-iron stove in one living room, and air conditioning in the kitchen.

Upstairs, there are five good-sized bedrooms, as well as a home office.

It’s less than 8km to Midleton’s main street and in the other direction you’ve got beaches, such as Ballyandreen or Ballinwillin, within 12-15 minutes’ drive.

With children growing and spreading wings, Deirdre and Ian are moving onto their ‘next project’, which will also be in the East Cork area, as “we still want to be near all those beautiful beaches”.

“Renovating is our hobby, but this house is all done now and ready for a new owner to just move in” — so there should be ample time for a sos beag at College House.

The Property Price Register records College House as being sold for €125k in 2019.

It is on the market now in much-improved, turn-key condition with a €550k price tag.