Turn of the century charm at €305k Sundays Well home

The north Lee location lets you swap the gridlock for a walk in the park

31 Sundays Well, Cork city. Pictures: Lyne Media

Sundays Well, Cork city
€305,000
Size	113sq m (1,216sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	2
BER	E

There weren’t many cars in Ireland when this five-bed, end-of-terrace home was built.

In fact, Ireland’s first car-sales garage only opened in 1900 (in Waterford), which is the same year that no 31 Sunday’s Well Avenue was built. So parking or manoeuvring cars weren’t big priorities 126 years ago.

In 1900 William F Peare established Ireland's first motor garage in Waterford. Picture: Waterford City Library

And because of no 31’s proximity to Cork City centre, many of the potential buyers of this €305k home on the avenue linking Blarney St with Sunday’s Well Rd won’t need a car to socialise in the city or to get to work — which is a big part of its appeal.

The current owners bought this townhouse in 1999 as their first home and made some handy improvements, says Niamh Hegarty, of Hegarty Properties. They moved the kitchen into an existing extension, and made good use of the “lovely suntrap, south-facing terrace at the back”.

The owners expanded their family and have now moved east, out of the city (having bought another property from the same auctioneers) and no 31 has been rented out recently.

The majority of viewers are first-time buyers and quite a few are keen to be car-free, yet still in a residential area. The 113sq m house is now under offer above the asking price.

Some of the other attractive features in this E-rated house include original floorboards in some rooms, cornicing, shutters, and exposed beams upstairs.

“It’s a handsome house, lovely and bright, with lots of character and a very good flexible layout,” says Ms Hegarty.

Sunday’s Well, set on the elevated northern banks of the Lee, is just moments from the heart of the city and you’ve also got easy access to UCC, the Mardyke, and Fitzgerald Park, as well as local schools and shops.

With one-way and pedestrian streets, you’re about an 800m walk or a 1.2km drive from the Mercy University Hospital or a quick walk from the Arc Cinema on the junction of Bachelor’s Quay and North Main St. Or it’s around 2km to Blackpool Shopping Centre.

VERDICT: A characterful, five-bed city home with period charm and modern updates — and a nicely walkable location.