The world on your doorstep at €875k Beaumont home

You don't even have to cross a road to get to local schools, pitches or parkland

Shenstone, 7 Lower Beaumont Drive

Ballintemple, Cork City
€875,000
Size	165sq m (1,776sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathroos	2
BER	F

Any children in the next household at this Ballintemple house may well grow up talking of going ‘to school through the fields’ — Beaumont Boys’ and Girls’ National Schools are only a short walk away between trees and alongside soccer pitches at Beaumont Park. Indeed if you’re heading to either of those schools on foot from No 7 Lower Beaumont Drive you don’t even need to cross a road to get there.

This four-bed detached home was built in 1938 and renovated and extended several times over the decades. The current owners added a small kitchen extension at the back. The interior is dated now and could likely do with a revised layout to suit modern tastes but there is more than enough space to consider getting permission for a double-height extension to the back and side.

Shenstone, 7 Lower Beaumont Drive

Potential buyers could easily take inspiration from the dozens of near neighbours who have insulated, extended, and significantly enhanced similar properties.

“There is very good interest in this house, we have had about 30 viewings already,” notes Cearbhall Behan of Behan Irwin & Gosling, adding that an offer in excess of €900k is already in place.

A quick dive into Irish Examiner archives turns up an advert for the sale of Shenstone by public auction in 1964. The property market seems to have been as lively then as today... an advert exactly two weeks later notes a furniture auction as we have “sold the house”.

Cork Examiner Saturday January 11, 1964

Cork Examiner Saturday January 25, 1964

One of the children of the current owners reveals that her father always had his eye on Shenstone and knocked on the door of those previous owners and asked to be given first option if they were ever selling. It worked and they spent more than 50 years here, rearing seven children.

“We all have the most beautiful memories of playing in the back garden which was used for barbecues and as a tennis court in the summer time with all the friends from the neighbourhood.”

The house name, Shenstone, may be from a connection to the Staffordshire village of Shenstone or perhaps more aptly it may be named for the English nature poet William Shenstone who was one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening.

Houses at the Ballintemple end of Beaumont Drive have pretty generous gardens, with some, including this one, extending right back to meet the Copperhill development on Temple Hill.

The gardens here are around a third of an acre and there’s plenty lawn as well as mature trees including weeping willow, a Chilean firebush, ash, acer, and a small orchard at the most western end.

“Location doesn’t get any better than this. You’re within walking distance of the Marina and Blackrock village and Beaumont Park with a lovely choice of gastropubs and cafes nearby,” notes Cearbhall.

Ballintemple village with its pharmacy, two pubs, grocery store and cafe/deli is a 350m walk away. And heading in the other direction you have Blackrock village with cafés and pubs along the main road route. Of course there is almost direct access to the greenway and the Marina Promenade too.

The 202 bus between Mahon Point and the city centre and the Apple campus on the northside passes right outside on Beaumont Drive.

VERDICT: Great location, great gardens, and great potential.