Upscale Cobh €415k classic

200 years of local history meets modern chic in historic East Cork townhouse

17 Bishop Street, Cobh. Pictures: John Finn

Cobh, Co Cork
€415,000
Size	124 sq m (1355 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	C2

An extremely long-term time-lapse video of this Cobh townhouse could show everything from masons using local stone and lime render to create this terrace in around 1820 to the view changing steadily a hundred years later as Cobh Cathedral was built.

The cathedral construction took around 50 years so if that video existed you’d have plenty footage of those weary workers trooping home — the spire on the finished product is still visible from the upper levels of this Bishop Street home.

No 17 Bishop Street was variously occupied by labourers and stonecutters in its first century. And in the 20th century it was also home to a mix of masons and local apprentices.

Of course with Cobh being a hub for emigration there were departures too from this property, including a young woman who had been born at this house in 1906. She left for America and her offspring and grandchildren made their lives there.

Her great grandson actually turned up at this four-bed townhouse just last year.

Owners, Nicola and Marcus, who bought this home in 2023, say the man researching his family’s Irish roots had been given a trip to Ireland as a birthday present. And while the modern, elegant home is a far cry from what it may have looked like when it belonged to his great grandmother, he was delighted to come in for a look around.

The current owners set the house’s welcoming and fun tone from the moment they bought it — they celebrated their purchase with a big halloween fancy dress party and a
temporary bar set up in one front room.

The main living room is upstairs and could be turned back into a bedroom by new owners. There are two bedrooms on this floor, one of which is currently kitted out as an office. The top floor has two double bedrooms, one of which has a walk-in wardrobe.

The downstairs living room is dual-aspect with the sage green kitchen at the rear. The ‘other’ front room may not even have been a room originally... it was likely a passageway leading to the back yard where a stonemason ran his business. Previous owners enclosed it into the house and it became a craft room for a talented seamstress.

Those owners also tackled an overgrown and sloping garden. It’s now a lush multi-level oasis with small sun terraces and winding paths leading to a lawn and a workshop/escape den at the very top.

Kitted out with electricity and its own deck outside it’s an attractive ‘getaway’ spot enjoyed by Marcus. It’s not overlooked from the rear either as directly behind is the side wall of a sports hall belonging to the Coláiste Mhuire mixed secondary school.

Marcus actually attended the local primary school around the corner too.

However, Nicola’s favourite spot in the 124 sq m house is the liminal area inside the back door - which has full-length clear glass - as it’s a cosy vantage point from which to enjoy the back garden and feel connected to the house with its exposed redbrick wall and chic black and white hall tiles.

Auctioneer Johanna Murphy praises the home’s character and surprisingly spacious interior, noting that it’s all within “walking distance of every amenity Cobh has to offer”.

The couple aren’t going too far — they’re moving to a Cobh home with access to motorbike storage — and they say they love the coastal town’s fun
atmosphere and accessibility.

The Roaring Donkey pub, which serves up organised and often impromptu live music, is just a short 140 m away around the corner.

And it’s a comfortable 500 metre downhill stroll to the main streets of West Beach and East Beach with all their cafés, supermarkets, pubs and gift shops. The guide price for No 17 is €415,000.

VERDICT: A character-rich piece of Cobh history brought brilliantly into the 21st century — spacious, stylish, and just a short stroll from the heart of the town.