Dam fine private Eden on the shores of Inniscarra lake

Irish Examiner

11-05-2025

Ovens, Cork
€695,000
Size
153 sq m (1,650 sq ft)-
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
2
BER
D1
THINK it takes lifetimes to create a wonderful wooodland garden? Think again, or come visit verdant Amergen, on Inniscarra lake, just to see what can be achieved in one lifetime's chapter.
Set by the waters of Cork's Inniscarra lake — which was formed by the ESB, upriver of Cork City, in the 1950s, when the electricity supplier set up a hydroelectric dam and replaced good farm land with a reservoir and now amenity area — this bungalow and its gardens were built in the 1980s.
Since, Amergen has also changed a local landscape in its own, more understated way.
Called after the early Irish Milesian poet Amergin Glúingel, the home was built in 1984 by a Cork couple, literary minded Colum Fehily and his wife, Chris, a botanist and green-fingered gardener, after they decided to relocate from their first family home, on the Model Farm Road, also called Amergen and which also had featured lovingly created gardens, done over two decades.
The couple had wanted more ground, water views, and a bungalow for ease of getting around: They made this Amergen their own, from initially unpromising material.
Back 40 years ago, when showing friends and family around what was then 'a large, uneven, rocky and stoney field', Chris Fehily foresaw 'a mature garden, sheltered from the wind by tall trees and offering visitors gentle walks through a variety of garden 'rooms', along with panoramic views of the lake and surrounding countryside'. Four decades on, that's what's here now, after the couple placed their 'new' home towards the front of their site to get maximum, elevated lake views over farmland and woodland that are best seen from a corner window in the home's large main living room.
Chris rolled up her sleeves to create a garden and shelter belt on three sides — south, east, and west — with a parking area and car port on the northern approach, with a right of way down to the edge of the lake through mature woodland to where boats and kayaks can be launched, or swims undertaken, with Inniscarra sailing and kayaking and recreational centre on the lake's other side, slightly north and west.
Ever before the foundations of the house had been dug, Chris was planting trees, trees, and more trees, many from seed (including varieties of exotic-looking and bright-barked eucalyptus,) for the swiftest possible growth of shelter trees.
Having studied botany at University College Cork, Chris Fehily (nee Horgan) used the garden to experiment with propagation, say family, growing many rare and unusual plants and trees, including a Wollemi pine, the seed for which a friend brought to her from Australia, and a Dacrydium cupressinum (or Rimu), a New Zealand tree that was a gift from the head gardener at Glasnevin.
It all took off (as did Chris's reputation as a plantswoman), as she turned the garden of her dreams into a verdant reality on the ground, so much so that within a decade Amergen came to feature in a Timotei-sponsored book, The Hidden Gardens of Ireland, by Marianne Heron, which came out in 1993.
The result of artful design, exceptional collection of plants, and sympathetic relationship with the surrounding landscape impresses today as Amergen is up for sale: it's a horticultural wonder in Cork's Lee Valley. Over the intervening years it drew interest from gardeners, getting many hundreds of visitors, both individuals groups and clubs from Ireland, the UK, and Holland.
The Fehilys' garden was opened to the public on many occasions, often as a fundraiser for local charities, and even gave work experience for horticulture students over the years, so in some ways a legacy goes on, even as the house and grounds are set to find new owners.
The 1,650 sq ft four-bed, well-kept home — a bungalow of its time, in all but its greened and multi-coloured surrounds — is listed with estate agent Lawrence Sweeney, of Savills: he gives it a €695,000 price, saying it's very well-located, on a mature and elevated, 1.78 acres of meticulously designed gardens, with Inniscarra lake under it 'offering breathtaking views and complete privacy, with the rare benefit of direct boat access to the lake itself'. It has been well kept, inside and outside, but, as it is decades old now, 'it would benefit from some modernisation: the potential here is immense.'
Beech hedging leads the way to this single-storey, D1-rated home, with four bedrooms to one end and living quarters on the other, plus conservatory at the south-west gable end, giving colourful garden views of the diverse plant and tree collection.
Having moved from Cork city's suburbs to this Walshestown, Ovens townland, 10 minutes out of Ballincolig and 20-25 minutes from the city and airport, the Fehily family's second Amergen iteration became a haven for children and grandchildren, with lake swims and boating adventures, picnics and Easter egg hunts, staging dramas at 'the 'climbing tree' (take your pick today?).
Nearby along the lake is Farran wood, and the National Rowing Centre, a sporting centre of excellence that was built in 2007, a neat coincidence as the Fehily family have sport rowing in their genes and family members have competed successfully for Ireland there.
VERDICT: Live life in poetry, or prose? Savills' property pitch enthuses, 'Amergen is more than just a home; it is a place of tranquillity, inspiration, and endless potential, an extraordinary lakeside retreat.'
Or, come re-enact Augusta Lady Gregory's translation of the poetic Song of Amergin at Cork's Amergen:
'I am the wind on the sea;
I am the wave of the sea;
I am the stag of seven battles;
I am the eagle on the rock
I am a flash from the sun;
I am the most beautiful of plants;
I am a strong wild boar;
I am a salmon in the water;
I am a lake in the plain;
I am the word of knowledge;
I am the head of the spear in battle;
I am the god that puts fire in the head;
Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?
Who can tell the ages of the moon?
Who can tell the place where the sun rests?'
THINK it takes lifetimes to create a wonderful wooodland garden? Think again, or come visit greened-in, Inniscarra lakeside Amergen to see what can be achieved in one lifetime's chapter.
Set by the waters of Cork's Inniscarra lake, which itself was formed by the ESB upriver of Cork city in the 1950s when it set up a hydroelectric dam and replaced good farm land with a reservoir and now amenity area, this bungalow home and gardens arrived 30 years later, in the 1980s, and itself took root and also changed a local landscape in its own more understated way.
Called after the early Irish Milesian poet Amergin Glúingel, this lakeside home was built in 1984 by a Cork couple, literary minded Colum Fehily and his wife Chris, a botanist and green-fingered gardener after they decided to relocate from their first family home on the Model Farm Road, also called Amergen and which also had featured lovingly created gardens, done over two decades.
The couple had wanted more ground, water views and a bungalow for ease of getting around: they made this Amergen their own, form almost initially unpromising material.
Back 40 years ago, when showing friends and family around what was then 'a large, uneven, rocky and stoney field,' Chris Fehily foresaw 'a mature garden, sheltered from the wind by tall trees and offering visitors gentle walks through a variety of garden 'rooms', along with panoramic views of the lake and surrounding countryside.' Four decade on, that's what's here now, after the couple placed their 'new' home towards the front of their site to get maximum elevated lake views over farmland and woodland – best seen internally from a corner window in the home's large main living room.
Chris rolled up her sleeves creating a garden and shelter belt on three sides, south, east and wst, with a parking area and car port on the northern approach, with a right of way down to the edge of the lake through mature woodland to where boats and kayaks can be launched, or swims undertaken, with Inniscarra sailing and kayaking centre and recreational centre on the lake's other side, slightly north and west.
Ever before the foundations of the house had been dug, Chris was at it planting trees, trees and more trees, many from seed (including many varieties of exotic-looking and bright-barked Eucalyptus, for the swiftest possible growth of shelter trees.
Having studied botany at UCC, Chris Fehily (nee Horgan) used the garden to experiment with propagation, say family, growing many rare and unusual plants and trees, including a Wollemi pine, the seed for which a friend brought to her from Australia, and a Dacrydium cupressinum (or Rimu), a New Zealand tree that was a gift from the head gardener at Glasnevin.
It all took off (as did her reputation as a plantswoman), as she turned the garden of her dreams into a verdant reality on the ground, so much so that within a decade Amergen came to feature in a Timotei-sponsored book 'The Hidden Gardens of Ireland' by Marianne Heron, which came out in 1993.
The result of artful design, exceptional collection of plants and sympathetic relationship with the surrounding landscape impresses today as Amergen is up for sale as a bit of a horticultural wonder in Cork's Lee Valley, and over the intervening years it drew interest from gardeners, getting many hundreds of visitors over the years, both individuals groups and clubs from Ireland, the UK and Holland.
The Fehilys' garden opened to the public on many occasions, often as a fundraiser for local charities, and even giving work experience for horticulture students over the years, so in some wasy a legacy goes on, even as the house and grounds are set to find new owners.
The 1,650 sq ft four-bed well-kept home – a bungalow of its time, in all but its greened and multi-coloured surrounds – is listed with estate agent Lawrence Sweeny of Savills who gives it a €695,000, and who says it's very well-located, on a mature and elevated 1.78 acres of meticulously designed gardens, with an Inniscarra lake under it 'offering breathtaking views and complete privacy, with the rare benefit of direct boat access to the lake itself.' It has been well kept, inside nd outside, but as it decades old now 'it would benefit from some modernisation: the potential here is immense.' Beech hedging leads the way to the single-storey, D1 rated home, with four bedrooms to one end and living quarters on the other, plus conservatory at the southwest gable end, giving colourful garden views of the diverse plant and tree collection.
Having moved from Cork city's 'burbs to this Walshestown, Ovens townland ten minutes out of Ballincolig and 20-25 minutes from the city and airport, the Fehily family's second Amergen iteration became a haven for children and grandchildren, with lake swims and boating adventures, picnics and Easter egg hunts, staging dramas at 'the 'climbing tree' (take your pick today?), and nearby along the lake is Farran wood, and the National Rowing Centre, a sporting centre of excellence which arrived in 2007, a neat coincidence as the Fehily family have sport rowing in their genes and family members have competed successfully for Ireland there.
VERDICT: Live life in poetry, or prose? Savills' property pitch enthuses 'Amergen is more than just a home; it is a place of tranquillity, inspiration, and endless potential, an extraordinary lakeside retreat.' Or, come re-enact Augusta Lady Gregory's translation of the poetic Song of Amergin at Cork's Amergen:
'I am the wind on the sea;
I am the wave of the sea;
I am the stag of seven battles;
I am the eagle on the rock I am a flash from the sun;
I am the most beautiful of plants;
I am a strong wild boar;
I am a salmon in the water;
I am a lake in the plain;
I am the word of knowledge;
I am the head of the spear in battle;
I am the god that puts fire in the head;
Who spreads light in the gathering on the hills?
Who can tell the ages of the moon?
Who can tell the place where the sun rests?'