Stables, stars, and city links at €595k Donoughmore home

A country haven in Donoughmore offers a cosy and luxe vibe

Ahdillane Donoughmore Co. Cork. Pictures: H-Pix

Donoughmore, Co Cork
€595,000
Size	171sq m (1,840sq ft) on 3.8 acres
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	C1

The exterior of this Donoughmore property has been as important as the interior for the owners, who built it in 1998.

Set on around 3.8 acres, it’s hard to say whether the three-bed spacious bungalow comes with a hot tub and equestrian facilities or vice versa.

Dún Saoibhe at Ahadallane proved to be the ideal spot for a horse-loving household involved in hunts, show-jumping, and eventing. The extensive grounds offered a chance to install a floodlit sand arena and stables for three to five horses.

The couple are now relocating to Spain so this €595,000 property is on the market. They said: “We were delighted to have all the nice things of countryside living, while being only 25 minutes from the city centre or 15 minutes to Blarney or Mallow.”

In the gardens between the house and stables, they set fruit trees including plum, apple, pears, and cherry plums, which really came into their own this summer.

The owners have kept bees and hens here in the past too.

The real cherry on top for the owners, though, was when the 243 bus route was established: “It’s hard to describe the excitement of seeing a bus on the road here. It goes from Newmarket to Cork City five times a day and it’s brilliant. You can pop in to town in the afternoon and enjoy a meal or movie and get the bus back home again in the evening.”

More prosaically, the bus means less time coordinating early-morning lifts for any school-going children in the new owners’ household as they could bus to school. There is a primary school at Bweeng, and secondary schools in Mallow or Blarney. Firmount National School is 6km away and it’s an 8km spin to Donoughmore GAA, with Rylane Community Park 16km away.

Moving inside the house, the large, bright kitchen/dining room was fully redone by David Kiely Kitchens in 2016 and has proven a great spot for numerous dinner parties and for hosting Christmas dinners for up to 20 people.

“We’ve put up three Christmas trees in the house and strung lights all along the drive,” add the owners.

“It’s the real heart of the home but my other favourite spot is the sitting room on a Sunday morning when the stove is on and I can sit in there with a book.”

Other renovation work at that time included significant energy-efficiency upgrades, with the external walls being pumped and additional attic insulation installed to keep things cosy.

Though the cold weather is actually welcome when the hot tub outside is bubbling away: “That’s the go-to spot on a winter’s night. There’s no light pollution so you can see all the stars and there’s great privacy, of course.”

VERDICT: This could be a winning rural escape without sacrificing on city convenience.