From blueprint to dream home — a draughtsman's €850k labour of love in Leamlara
Leamlara, Co Cork
€850,000
Size
412 sq m (4435 sq ft)
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
3
BER
C3
A CHAP skilled at turning concepts in to blueprints, and with the technical nous to design his own home, gave free reign to his creativity when drawing up plans for this distinctive Leamlara property.
Draughtsman Kevin O'Riordan had a store of knowledge by the time he and his wife, Linda, got down to researching the kind of home they would like.
They built the house in Ballyvatta while the Celtic Tiger was still rumbling and didn't scrimp on any of the materials.
The warm, earthy hues of Ballydesmond stone are everywhere.
'It took 14 truckloads of stone in total, and it took two stonemasons six weeks to build the fireplace,' Kevin says.
The masons did a remarkable job.
The stone chimney breast sweeps up through two floors into the vaulted, double-height ceiling.
It's outdone only by the showstopping glazed wall of windows that rises into the vault, delivering stunning countryside views.
'When you come here first, you think it's remote, but, actually, we're only 10 minutes from Glounthaune and 15 minutes from Midleton, and Watergrasshill village is a three-minute spin,' Kevin says.
Their home, named Suaimhneas (Tranquility), has a touch of west coast US about the interior. The entire ground floor is largely open plan and steps down through three levels.
The towering chimney breast acts as a divider between the dining area and lounge and has a double-aspect gas fire.
The kitchen, with cherry timber units and granite worktops, is off to one side.
Italian Travertine flooring runs throughout the ground floor. Underfloor heating runs through the house, as the upstairs floors are also concrete.
Much of the internal work is bespoke (eg, the impressive, handmade, solid-walnut stairs, which leads to a mezzanine lounge, with terrific light levels).
Three of four bedrooms are upstairs, with en-suite bath and separate shower and 'his' and 'her' walk-in wardrobes in the main.
There's a downstairs bedroom and the option of turning a study in to a fifth. As Suaimhneas is set on 1.7 acres (mainly lawn), the couple had plenty of space to create patio areas.
The main one is accessed off the large lounge and also the utility room. There are no less than four sets of patio doors to different seating areas.
One of the most impressive details is the time it took to build the house. Given its huge size — c 4,500 sq ft, with plenty of room to entertain 20 at Christmas dinner — it's no mean feat that it was done and dusted in 18 months.
'We started work on March 1, 2005 and we moved in on September 1, 2006,' says Kevin, who project-managed the build. Twenty years later, and as they spend more time overseas, the couple are downsizing and selling up.
Ed O'Donovan, of Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan, says it's a 'magnificent property', with 'incredible attention to detail' and 'an abundance of living space'.
He's seeing good interest from house hunters looking to move out of Cork City to the countryside, yet less than 15 minutes from the Jack Lynch Tunnel. The house comes with a double garage. Mr O'Donovan's price for this striking home is €850,000.
VERDICT: A home that cuts quite a dash with great attention to detail and high-end finishes.
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Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
From blueprint to dream home — a draughtsman's €850k labour of love in Leamlara
Leamlara, Co Cork €850,000 Size 412 sq m (4435 sq ft) Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 BER C3 A CHAP skilled at turning concepts in to blueprints, and with the technical nous to design his own home, gave free reign to his creativity when drawing up plans for this distinctive Leamlara property. Draughtsman Kevin O'Riordan had a store of knowledge by the time he and his wife, Linda, got down to researching the kind of home they would like. They built the house in Ballyvatta while the Celtic Tiger was still rumbling and didn't scrimp on any of the materials. The warm, earthy hues of Ballydesmond stone are everywhere. 'It took 14 truckloads of stone in total, and it took two stonemasons six weeks to build the fireplace,' Kevin says. The masons did a remarkable job. The stone chimney breast sweeps up through two floors into the vaulted, double-height ceiling. It's outdone only by the showstopping glazed wall of windows that rises into the vault, delivering stunning countryside views. 'When you come here first, you think it's remote, but, actually, we're only 10 minutes from Glounthaune and 15 minutes from Midleton, and Watergrasshill village is a three-minute spin,' Kevin says. Their home, named Suaimhneas (Tranquility), has a touch of west coast US about the interior. The entire ground floor is largely open plan and steps down through three levels. The towering chimney breast acts as a divider between the dining area and lounge and has a double-aspect gas fire. The kitchen, with cherry timber units and granite worktops, is off to one side. Italian Travertine flooring runs throughout the ground floor. Underfloor heating runs through the house, as the upstairs floors are also concrete. Much of the internal work is bespoke (eg, the impressive, handmade, solid-walnut stairs, which leads to a mezzanine lounge, with terrific light levels). Three of four bedrooms are upstairs, with en-suite bath and separate shower and 'his' and 'her' walk-in wardrobes in the main. There's a downstairs bedroom and the option of turning a study in to a fifth. As Suaimhneas is set on 1.7 acres (mainly lawn), the couple had plenty of space to create patio areas. The main one is accessed off the large lounge and also the utility room. There are no less than four sets of patio doors to different seating areas. One of the most impressive details is the time it took to build the house. Given its huge size — c 4,500 sq ft, with plenty of room to entertain 20 at Christmas dinner — it's no mean feat that it was done and dusted in 18 months. 'We started work on March 1, 2005 and we moved in on September 1, 2006,' says Kevin, who project-managed the build. Twenty years later, and as they spend more time overseas, the couple are downsizing and selling up. Ed O'Donovan, of Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan, says it's a 'magnificent property', with 'incredible attention to detail' and 'an abundance of living space'. He's seeing good interest from house hunters looking to move out of Cork City to the countryside, yet less than 15 minutes from the Jack Lynch Tunnel. The house comes with a double garage. Mr O'Donovan's price for this striking home is €850,000. VERDICT: A home that cuts quite a dash with great attention to detail and high-end finishes.
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
Pictured: The man Gardaí want to interview over Denis Donaldson murder
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The Sunday World has learned that Duffy now qualifies for parole under Scotland's early prison release scheme. Anton Duffy, pictured being interviewed by police in 2013 over a plot to kill Johnny Adair And he could soon be heading back to Donegal, for questioning in relation to the murder of former IRA man and top Sinn Féin aide Denis Donaldson. The development emerged during a Coroners Court sitting in Letterkenny, when a judge asked a senior Garda officer to account for a lengthy delay in bringing the Donaldson case to court. The officer informed the judge that DNA evidence had been recovered from the Donaldson murder scene, which was found to be a match for an unnamed man, currently serving a lengthy sentence in another jurisdiction. And the officer also revealed Garda detectives were in the process of arranging for this individual to be interviewed in Donegal at the earliest opportunity. Last week, the Sunday World learned Antoin Duffy is now eligible to apply for parole due to having served over half of his 17-year sentence. And we have also learned the Scottish Prison Authorities may object to Duffy's early release, due to his involvement in a number of disruptive incidents. Last Saturday, Johnny Adair, who was targeted in Antoin Duffy's murder conspiracy, said he was aware the Donegal man could soon be applying for parole. He said: 'At this stage, no one knows exactly when Duffy will be applying for parole. But when he does, it's going to be very interesting to see what happens next.' Former UDA boss Johnny Adair. 'I knew nothing about this man until the police picked me out of a line at Glasgow Airport coming back from holiday. 'I was complaining that I was a victim of police harassment, but the detective took me to an office where two MI5 officers were waiting for me. 'The MI5 men explained they had arrested Antoin Duffy from Donegal for conspiracy to murder Skelly and I. 'It made sense because Skelly and I regularly visited a Belfast man who was in jail with Duffy. 'We both gave evidence at his trial and I came away with the impression Duffy was a dangerous individual, who was capable of anything,' said Adair. 'From now on, it's going to be very interesting in regard to Denis Donaldson.' Last week, former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams successfully sued the BBC over a Spotlight programme it made which quoted an unnamed source as saying Adams gave the go-ahead for the murder of Denis Donaldson in 2006. Adams denied any involvement in the Donaldson murder and, in a lengthy five-week libel trial which ended on Friday, he robustly defended his position. Agreeing Adams had been defamed, a jury awarded him £84,000. Outside the court in Dublin on Friday, Adams called on the Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan to meet with the Donaldson family as soon as possible. Former Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. He said: 'I am very mindful of the Donaldson family in the course of this long trial and indeed the victims' families who have had to watch all of this. 'I want to say that the Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan should meet the family of Denis Donaldson as quickly as possible and that there's an onus on both governments and everyone else, and I include myself in this, to try and deal with legacy issues as best that we can.' However, Denis Donaldson's daughter Jane hit out at Adams' legal teams' approach to her evidence. In a statement also issued on Friday, Jane Donaldson, who is married to a senior Sinn Féin figure, said: 'Although the plaintiff claimed sympathy for my family, his legal team objected to me giving evidence to challenge the account of his witnesses. 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The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
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