
Period era Newtown Lodge could sell at a gallop
MAY seems to be the month when the period home Newtown Lodge goes up for sale.
This Georgian home, in horsey country and on 4.5 acres near the rivers Bride and Blackwater and Ballynoe/Conna in north-east Cork, appeared here back in May 2003, priced at €480,000.
Interior grace
It was bought back then by a Kildare woman, who made it a family home for the next 20 years, undertaking a programme of upgrade works to what's now a 3,700 sq ft six-bedroomed home.
It then appeared here again as recently as May 2023, when it was priced at €795,000, and found a swift buyer, selling for a recorded €900,000 by late autumn.
It was picked up by a woman originally from the UK, who'd lived on a period, 80-acre woodland estate in the Lee Valley for a number of years, selling for a multi-million euro sum in 2022.
She moved from west of the city, towards the east, undertaking yet further works to Newtown Lodge during a very short spell here and fully furnishing its older-era and charming rooms with appropriate furniture, filling bookshelves and walls.
However, she passed away after an illness in November of 2024.
Newtown Lodge is now once more for sale, after two appreciative ownerships, one decades long, the other just a year or so in the house's own long life, c 200 years and more, associated with considerable land-owing family the Nasons in the 19th century.
It's listed — again in a May of glorious, early summer growth — with Cork City-based estate agent Dominic Daly, on behalf of executors of the recently deceased owner, and he prices it at €900,000, noting that while the area is low-profile, it is good country for equestrian activities and keeping horses.
The winner of the 2003 Grand National at Aintree, Monty's Pass, retired to his trainer Jimmy Mangan's yard here at Conna after 2004, seeing out his days at pasture up to 2022.
Newtown Lodge has 1.5 acres of lovely gardens, in enclosed sections around its various wings/guest annexe, including a stunning monkey puzzle tree, and wisteria across the main, taller façade, has several, older stone outbuildings and three loose boxes: the landscaped grounds adjoin a three-acre paddock, with scope for a sand arena and other facilities.
Full of period detailing, it has multi-paned/sash windows, including three in a column on a three-storey gable, shutters, fanlit door, French doors, picture rails and fireplaces, kitchen with Aga and a mix of grand and characterful rooms, some double height, others under eaves.
Newtown Lodge is on the road side of its total 4.5 acres, along a quiet road, 45km from Cork City, some 23km from Youghal, and a bit closer to Fermoy, Midleton, and Tallow. It has up to six bedrooms, well-carpeted, and bathrooms redone in recent years.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Happily ever after with greener bites — staying sustainable on your big day doesn't have to be difficult
A wedding is a joyful opportunity to celebrate two people who want to spend their lives together. It's a special occasion, tied up with hope and tradition. But you don't have to buy in to every tradition. Neither do you have to compromise your 'green' ideals. There are ways to avoid food waste and over-consumption, an especially pertinent topic during this National Food Waste Recycling Week. A 2019 report, published by the Environmental Protection Agency, estimated that the annual cost of food waste (food wholesale, food retail, and food service) was €300m. Hotels have the highest level of food waste, and two-thirds of food waste from this sector can be avoided. Reducing food waste is crucial in tackling climate change, and Ireland is committed to cutting food waste in half by 2030, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.. The number of couples who consider sustainable practices when choosing a wedding venue is increasing, according to WedPro's annual industry report. One of the first places to start is to have a conversation with hotels and venue operators. This eco-awareness is something that Michael O'Neill, manager and part-owner of the family-run Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens, in Clonakilty, has noticed in recent years. 'Customers are more aware now and they're looking for more sustainable weddings,' O'Neill says. 'It's much more common than 10 years ago. We've been doing it for ages, and no one cared. Now they're asking for the hotel's sustainable credentials, and the odd couple would even calculate their wedding carbon footprint.' Eco-awareness is something that Michael O'Neill, manager and part-owner of the family-run Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens, in Clonakilty, has noticed in recent years. Picture: Andy Gibson. The Georgian mansion house at Fernhill has been in the family since Michael's great-grandfather, butcher MJ O'Neill, bought it in 1946, with each generation improving what's on offer in this relaxed and comfortable space. A walkable 2km from Clonakilty town centre, the hotel is set in a naturally landscaped garden developed by renowned designer Mary Reynolds, which encompasses a river valley with old woodland. The hotel has always drawn water from an on-site well, and its solar panels, as O'Neill says, have been 'hopping with the sunshine over the last month'. This area of sustainability is something with which O'Neill is well acquainted. He is a former director of Sustainable Clonakilty, a community-led initiative formed in 2006 that promotes sustainability and energy independence through various initiatives, including energy efficiency and local food production. He was also a board member of EDEN Ireland, an EU project that highlights sustainable tourism destinations. Clonakilty won Ireland's first EDEN sustainable tourism award for outstanding emerging rural destination in 2007. The West Cork town has a long-standing record of community activism, much of it centred around food. In 2003, it became the first Fairtrade town in Ireland. Earlier this year, the Kids Food Revolution embarked on an ambitious drive to create a healthier food environment for children, locally and nationally. Fernhill is one of five West Cork wedding destinations — including Dunmore House Hotel, Camus Farm, Celtic Ross Hotel and Dunowen House — that joined together last year to promote their Waste Not, Want Not sustainable wedding offerings. The recently launched Waste Not, Want Not food waste campaign is a collaboration between Irish environmental charity VOICE, Clonakilty Tidy Towns, and Clonakilty Community Resource Centre. Not surprisingly, Fernhill House Hotel & Gardens was named as one of its Food Waste Champions. Fernhill is one of five West Cork wedding destinations — including Dunmore House Hotel, Camus Farm, Celtic Ross Hotel and Dunowen House — that joined together last year to promote their Waste Not, Want Not sustainable wedding offerings. The team at Fernhill keeps a close eye on food waste. 'The worst things for waste at weddings are vegetable bowls,' says O'Neill. At Fernhill, they do silver service — where waiters serve food from large platters — which cuts down on discarded food. Similarly, the wine is also poured by staff. O'Neill says that the hotel is keen to improve further. 'We brought new things in to try and take it to another level. We encourage couples to let us pick the canapés, vegetables, and desserts, so that we can use foods that are in season locally. Fernhill has worked with local producers for many years: O'Neill still sources meats and black and white puddings from the butcher shop established by the man who bought Fernhill. "You don't want something like broccoli in winter — that's not coming from Ireland. Then, in the summer, if there's a glut, we can use that up to reduce food waste.' 'We watch the bins ourselves,' says O'Neill. 'There's never been a wedding that my family hasn't been here for. We check food waste to see what's going out and always assess what happened. We're able to cut down on a lot of waste by retaining a well-experienced chef — head chef Lukasz Tomaszewicz has been here for 15 years.' On the day of a wedding, understanding the number of main course portions between, for instance, beef and local cod can be difficult and wasteful. 'But,' according to O'Neill, 'Lukasz has it down to a fine art.' Rather than sticking with traditional meat or fish as the two main-course options, it's possible to prioritise vegetarian dishes by having a vegetable dish as one of the main choices. 'Couples can also ask their guests to pre-order their main course. It's something that's common in other countries,' says O'Neill. 'No one is forced to do it, but it does cut down on waste.' If you're planning for future nuptials, opting for a green wedding is more about picking good alternatives, rather than sacrificing ideals. Local sourcing is also vital for sustainability: 'In Ireland, with our climate, we can get amazing vegetables, fish, and meat. Where we are in West Cork is like the craft food capital of Ireland. We're very lucky that it's so easy to work with local suppliers: Glenmar Shellfish in Union Hall for local fish; Clona dairy for our milk; Irish Yogurts Clonakilty, Clonakilty Free Range Eggs, and Mologa honey for breakfast in the morning; and, at this time of the year, we're full up to the brim with Bushby's strawberries.' Fernhill has worked with local producers for many years: O'Neill still sources meats and black and white puddings from the butcher shop established by the man who bought Fernhill. MJ O'Neill Butchers is now run by Haulie O'Neill, a first cousin of Michael's father. 'It's natural to us. Our great-grandfather had his own butcher shop, and he founded our food philosophy here, keeping it local and keeping down the food miles.' If you're planning for future nuptials, opting for a green wedding is more about picking good alternatives, rather than sacrificing ideals. 'It's a nice way to start your married life,' says O'Neill, 'consciously choosing to be more sustainable.' National Food Waste Recycling Week runs until 8 June. More information at Read More Eat your way to the best results — nutritious food to help exam students succeed


RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Appeals body to review social media account suspensions
The Appeals Centre Europe, a Dublin-based social media appeals body, will from today hear cases relating to the suspension of accounts by Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If a user feels their account has been unfairly suspended by a social media platform, they can now challenge the decision by lodging a complaint with the Appeals Centre Europe. The centre's decisions are not binding, but platforms are obliged under EU law to engage in good faith. The Appeals Centre Europe opened in November 2024 and began issuing decisions in late January. It hears disputes from people and organisations in Ireland and across the EU about decisions by social media platforms relating to issues such as the removal of content. "Losing your social media account is more than an inconvenience, it affects people's lives in fundamental ways," said Appeals Centre Europe Chief Executive Thomas Hughes. "Before now you could either appeal the decision to the platform – which often sticks with its original decision – or go to court at great expense," he said. "Today, however, there's a new option which is independent of platforms and free-of-charge - Appeals Centre Europe," Mr Hughes said. The Appeals Centre has been certified by the media regulator Coimisiún na Meán as an out-of-court dispute settlement body under the EU's set of online safety rules, the Digital Services Act. The start-up funding for the Appeals Centre was provided through a one-time grant from the Meta Oversight Board Trust, but the centre has insisted that it will be independent of Meta. Going forward, the centre will be funded through fees charged to social media companies for each case. Right now, users are not being charged for taking a case but in the future, people who raise a dispute will be asked to pay what is described as a 'nominal fee' of €5, which will be refunded if the centre finds it in their favour. This summer, the centre said it will publish its first transparency report containing insights into the cases it has received and the decisions it has made. It is also planning to expand to other social media platforms later this year.


Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Roscommon dad released in Iraq after more than four years in custody
A Roscommon resident has been released by authorities in Iraq – after being locked up for more than four years, it has emerged. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris tonight revealed that Robert Pether – who is an Australian citizen but had been living in Elphin with his Irish family – was released on bail earlier today. Mr Harris, who has been working to secure the engineer's release for several months, said his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein contacted him to tell him of the development. Construction engineer Mr Pether, 49, who is married to Desree Pether, 53, from Roscommon, has been locked up since April 2021. The father-of-three was jailed over four years ago in a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. His distraught family in Ireland revealed Mr Pether, who previously had melanoma skin cancer, has a prostate that is "three times (the) normal size" and that he also has gallstones. Mr Pether and an Egyptian colleague had been employed by a Dubai-based construction company, CME Consulting, to build a new Central Bank in Baghdad, when the contract row erupted. They are accused of stealing money from the project, which they both deny. The United Nations has slammed his jailing as "arbitrary detention." He was due to be released last January but Iraq issued new charges against them and he was facing a further 15 years in custody – until Mr Harris intervened earlier this year. He was a free man tonight - although he must remain in Iraq for the meantime. But the Tánaiste welcomed the decision to free him. He said: "This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern. "This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends. "Foreign Minister Hussein of Iraq, whom I spoke to last month to urge Robert's release, called me this evening with the news. I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon." The Tánaiste also said he had been in contact with Mrs Pether over the release – and said he was grateful to Irish diplomats who had worked on the case. He said: "I also spoke this evening with Robert's wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development. "I want to thank Irish diplomatic officials based in the region for their continued work on this case. "We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case."