Starter Homes: Mount Oval, Macroom, and Turners Cross from €290k

A light-filled home is in a powerhouse Cork location; an apartment with a good-sized private space; and a Macroom semi-detached home with a long back garden

Left: 67 Clonlea, Mount Oval; Top right: 25 Kingsbridge, South Douglas Rd; Lower right: 44 New St, Macroom

Coming up roses at Mount Oval

Mount Oval, Cork
€340,000
Size	70sq m (753sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C

Given the popularity of property in Mount Oval, it seems entirely reasonable to suppose that No 67 Clonlea, a two-bedroom mid terrace house with a guide of €340,000, is going to attract busy viewings.

“It’s the 10th property we’ve listed in Mount Oval this year — the first nine all attracted high levels of interest,” says auctioneer Kevin Barry of Barry auctioneers, who believes this one has strong appeal for both first-time buyers and investors.

“It’s a very well maintained owner-occupied property which which has a southwest-facing back garden with vibrant red roses and a small glass house,” he notes.

Downstairs accommodation in the 70sq m property includes a kitchen with fitted units, as well as an oak-floored living/dining room with a gas fire. The upstairs has a bathroom and two bedrooms. Plantation shutters, rather than curtains, have been fitted across the house.

The garden at the rear has a concrete patio and a gravelled area planted with a profusion of red roses.

Located within a short walk from Mount Oval Sq, the property has one designated parking space.

The location is the main attraction, says Mr Barry, pointing out that it’s within a short drive from amenities in Douglas village and offers easy access to the South Link Rd.

One of the more recent sales of a two-bed mid terrace in the Mount Oval development is No 8 Rowan Hill, which sold for €50,000 above its €320,000 guide in May. The most recent sale of a terraced two-bedroom home in Clonlea was of No 57 which sold for €340,000 in 2024.

VERDICT: A well-kept, well-located modern two-bedroom house with a garden full of red roses as a bonus.

South Douglas Road apartment with a private outdoor space

South Douglas Rd, Cork city
€295,000
Size	60 sq m (645 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C

The patio area at the rear of this ground-floor apartment at 25 Kingsbridge, South Douglas Rd, offers good space for a barbecue.

“It has a larger garden area than you usually get with an apartment,” observes Sherry FitzGerald’s Stuart O’Grady, quoting a guide of €295,0000 for the well-kept former rental property. It has a kitchen/dining/living room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.

Part of a development of 34 apartments with communal gardens, it includes a parking space.

VERDICT: The fact it’s located within a 25-minute walk from the city centre could be a big attraction.

Long south-facing garden at Macroom semi-d

Macroom, Co Cork
€290,000
Size	93 sq m (1,001 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	D

The length of the garden at the rear of 44 New St in Macroom might come as quite a surprise to people viewing it.

That the long, south-facing garden includes a parking area is, according to OM2 O’Mahony auctioneers, a good selling point for a property located within a 10-minute walk of the town centre.

It’s a well-maintained, 1960s, three-bed semi with 93sq m of living space, including two living rooms, a small kitchen, three bedrooms, and a bathroom.

VERDICT: Close to the town centre, it has space for parking, gardening, and potentially an extension.