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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Blessed West Cork setting for born again Georgian era glebe house in great nick
WEST Cork's Rathclaren House is as good as old — the supremely comfortable former Georgian rectory was effectively rebuilt from the roof down, and from its dug-up floor upwards, when it last changed hands, in jig-time, in 2008. Gorgeous Georgian glebe on five acres of groomed and green grounds Apart from its walls, just about everything within is new, and high end, but its aesthetic and the quality of its workmanship is 100% faithful to its past, leaving confusion only as to whether the 1820s rooted home is as good as new, better than new, or as good as it gets for an veteran coastal home with deep local roots. Despite being over 200 years in age and built to a template common at the time for 19th-century rectories and glebe houses, Rathclaren is not the oldest kid on its block: that honour belongs to its next door neighbour, the Anglican Holy Trinity Church, with portions going back to the 1650s (even earlier ruins of a church nearby date to the 13th century). Holy Trinity, or Rathclaren Church, was added to and altered several times in the 1800s, including a tower with clock and a so-called lychgate covered entrance — quintessentially English, also seen in Scandinavia, rarely in Ireland. Lychgate at Holy Trinity church. Picture Dan Linehan With its adjacent church, graveyard, and cemetery holding the remains of both Catholics and Protestants and its lychgate, the Rathclaren ensemble is picture postcard pretty, just a few hundred metres uphill from the coastal road (and, Wild Atlantic Way) running west of Kinsale towards Clonakilty, between Ballinspittle and Timoleague near Burren and Kilbrittain. Old bones, updated inside It's in good company with a handful of other period homes in the vicinity, including the early 1800s Georgian villa Gortaglenna, and the late 1700s Burren House, while nearby on the coastline is Coolmain Castle, currently for sale for the Disney family with a €7.5m AMV on 56 acres of 'Disney-land', in immaculate order. Rathclaren House is near Disney's Coolamain Castle Coolmain went to the international market in April with joint agents Andy Donoghue of Hodnett Forde and Lisney Sotheby's International Realty: now the same pairing are lined up to sell Rathclaren House, on five minded acres with sea glimpses, with a price guide considerably less that the area's magical Disney castle ... it's launched at €2.95m. Coolmain Castle Rathclaren House previously featured here, back in 2008 when the market was still strong, priced at that time at €1.5m and in a condition that — diplomatically — reflected its age, despite being generally well presented and maintained. Previous owners included the Wilson family for c 20 years prior, and before that the UK diplomat Sir Geofroy Tory (1912 to 2012) who served as Britain's ambassador to Ireland in the 1960s and who retired after an international career to Rathclaren, in a gentle West Cork setting. Interior grace at Rathclaren Buyers in 2008 were Axel Thiel, CEO of a specialist industrial company related to the auto sector Thiel & Heuche in Germany, and his wife Philippa (nee Graves), internationally based and who fell for its charms upon their very first glimpse of it. They bought it straight away, after first viewing from the Wilsons after it appeared in the Irish Examiner Property pages and before any rival bidding could take place. Upwardly mobile The couple then with teenage children had been in the hunt for a Georgian property in Cork at the time and knew just what they hoped for. Philippa's family home is Ballylickey House, between Bantry and Glengarriff, now four generations in Graves hands (related to the poet and author Robert Graves) and the family are now only selling Rathclaren to take over at Ballylickey House: 'It's a very difficult decision to sell,' Philippa acknowledges. Kitchen with German limestone floor with fossil traces What they are selling both is — and is not — what they bought back in '08, given its near total internal rebuild in the original retained building envelope, the construction equivalent of a total organ transplant and rebirth. Bright side in Not only is the mainc 4,000sq ft house as good as, or better, than new, so too is the former coach house and outbuilding, brought down to retention of the stone front wall and arch only and then fully rebuilt as a three-bedroom 2,300sq ft guesthouse, fully self-contained (bar a proper kitchen, easily provided) and, at its far end, a two-bed staff house, currently lived in by the full-time caretaker and attentive groundsman. Guest cottage The rebuilding work took a full two years, to painstaking detail, with a local crew headed by builder Dan Healy whom the Thiels praise highly. Specialist conservation and new joinery work was done to an exceptional standard by London-based Patrick O'Donovan, who did the windows, typically six-over-six sliding sashes, working window shutters on the deep walls, doors, architraves and pristine staircase, the works, while reclaimed pitch pine wood lines the modestly-sized study en route to the dining room. Modest add-ons or wings were placed, with glass roof lanterns, for a feature triple aspect dining room and for the large and hospitable kitchen, done by House of Coolmore, with a limestone floor brought in from Germany, complete with fossils to spot in the stone underfoot. From the floors (dug out, and redone and finished in solid oak when found to be wringing wet), right up to the roof, all inside is new or newly finished, bar superb original fireplaces (one an Adam chimneypiece or Adam style, with polished brass insert) and thick internal walls. Courtyard cluster with lustre It's quite the experience to go up into the spacious attic of a 200-year-old house, with hipped roof and internal valley (holding solar panels) and see every stout roof timber is new: there's reassurance in this for the centuries yet to come... For all of its Georgian grace, the five-bay home is far from being overly grand or grandeur, and from day one had quite simple plasterwork and internal architectural embellishment. It functions really well as a manageable home of supreme comfort, with twin formal reception rooms interlinked via solid double doors (it's BER exempt, having been listed post-upgrades), with four bedrooms and a mod estly enlarged great ground level floor plan which, originally, held a small room for the rector to meet his parishioners in. It was just to the right of the off-centre fan-lit 'front' door, which is around to the far side of the long and leafy approach drive. Guest/staff accommodation in a converted stable/coachhouse Each façade is different: that entrance with ornate fan over the original door is slate-hung, with slates in graduated sizes for perspective. The main five-bay faces south for views to the water by Courtmacsherry bay and village, whose lights sparkle in evenings and night, amid otherwise perfect night skies, delineated by soaring trees, including a beast of a macrocarpa, likely as old as Rathclaren itself. I see the sea Joint agents Eileen Neville of Lisney Sotheby's IR and Hodnett Forde's Andy Donoghue say Rathclaren House 'stands as a refined and meticulously restored period residence of notable architectural and historical interest,' adding, 'this distinguished home was conceived in alignment with the ecclesiastical and social heritage of the time.' Now wholly secular since about the 1950s when it left Church of Ireland hands for a series of private owners, it's on five acres, largely wooded, with extensive planting done by the Thiels during their caring tenure, including adding the likes of European black pines, Sequoia redwoods, Ginkos, Handkerchief trees, and Silver Birches to the existing long-settled stock, of indigenous deciduous trees and pines, including the signature, stand-out macrocarpa. Green fingered The grounds, on a gentle slope east to west and also down away from the house to the south, remain largely wooded, with defined sections, walks, walled sections and old stone boundaries, and openings, interspersed with rhododendron and other colourful intercessions and include lawns which included a tennis court at some time, fruit gardens and frames. There is joyous growth and greenery right up to the walls of the main house, to the coach house, and adjoining staff house (with a mix of six dormer windows and conservation-style Veluxes in slate roofs), all the time with glimpses back through the trees to the pyramidal roof of the 1870s added tower at Rathclaren Church. Rathclaren's Holy Trinity church Picture: Dan Linehan Departing vendors the Thiels say most of the time their private retreat property is so quiet 'you can hear a pin drop', but perhaps at this stage they are more than used to the chimes and peal of the 10 tubular bells installed in the belfry in the 1890s … which appeared to be out by an hour to the 'real' time when visited in the past week? (The refinished clock face in black and gilt has a pock mark by the7 o'clock setting, said to be from a bullet in the Civil War era.) Something to aspire to.... Image: Dan Linehan The auctioneers say Rathclaren 'offers a rare combination of privacy, serenity, and natural beauty', within short distances of Cork City, international airport, Kinsale, and the further roll out of West Cork towns from Bandon and Clonakilty. It mixes preservation of its original layout and essential charms, upgrades of outbuildings, double garage, wine and fuel stores 'with thoughtful incorporation of modern conveniences, representing a harmonious fusion of traditional elegance and contemporary luxury'. Pitch pine perfection VERDICT: It's rare to find a glebe home of such local history and heritage with new life breathed into its old bones, in such a timeless setting, with huge peace of mind thanks to the quality and thoroughness of the works done. Next owners can be expected to fall as heavily for Rathclaren House as its owners did back in 2008.
UPI
2 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Musk's brain-computer interface company sought 'disadvantaged' status
Elon Musk's Neuralink company reportedly claimed to be a "small disadvantaged business" in a filing with the Small Business Administration shortly before investors valued the company in the billions of dollars. File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 18 (UPI) -- Elon Musk's brain-implant company, Neuralink, which helps paralyzed people regain some independence, allegedly claimed "small disadvantaged business" status in a filing with the Small Business Administration earlier this year. The filing was made just weeks before the company received a valuation of $9 billion in June in a funding round aimed at making the tech available to more patients and developing new interfaces that "deepen the connection between biological and artificial intelligence." SDB status, the eligibility for which is majority ownership and control by one or more "disadvantaged" individuals who are "socially disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged," can make it easier to secure government contracts. The Code of Federal Regulations further requires that the ability of the disadvantaged owners to compete in the free market was "impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same or similar line of business who are not socially disadvantaged." None of these criteria appear applicable to Musk, a white male, Anglican, with a net worth of $404 billion and a track record of building highly successful multi-billion-dollar companies, according to MuskWatch. The federal government hands out contracts to SDB's worth $50 billion every year, MuskWatch says the designation provides a significant advantage to companies seeking a share of the pie, as well as prominence in listings in the SBA's business search directories and other government databases. No federal funding has been passed to Neuralink, although it may have tendered for government contracts or applied for grants, loans or alternative forms of financial help in the past. The filing April 24 coincided with the perios during which Musk was downsizing government departments and agencies in his role as head of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, where he placed particular emphasis on attacking diversity, equality and inclusion programs and the staff who administered them. The filing, which is self-certified, was signed by Neuralink executives. Neuralink executive Jared Birchall, who is named on the filing as the company's contact person, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Government contractors who wrongly claimed SDB status or misrepresented the nature of their companies in their profiles in government business directories have been the subject of Justice Department prosecutions, resulting in imprisonment and/or hefty fines.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Denis Hurley Centre mourns passing of three contributors
THE past few months has seen the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) family embroiled in bereavement, following the passing of their valuable contributors. Sarah Kearney died at the age of 55 after a protracted illness. She was the niece of DHC founder, Paddy Kearney, one of the three children of his late brother Jack. Sarah was described as an invaluable source of insights for the PhD written about Paddy. DHC director Raymond Perrier said, 'Saffura Khan died of a heart attack aged 67 after undergoing surgery. Saffura has been one of our most committed and versatile Muslim partners. The fact that she was blind from birth, and a passionate activist for the rights of the disabled, meant that she also brought new insights into our own work. It was in part through her inspiration and gentle cajoling that over the years we could engage a blind tour guide, set up an empowerment project for deaf young adults, and ensure that wheelchair users could be staff members and volunteers.' Also read: Denis Hurley Centre Street Store serves success Saffura had been a patron of DHC's sister organisation, the Napier Centre for Healing, as was Bishop Dino Gabriel who has died at the age of 69. 'Sadly, a few months ago, Dino discovered that he had cancer and, after that, his decline was swift. He came to South Africa from Italy in 1987 as a Catholic priest and a Consolata missionary; then later in life he became an Anglican, an Anglican priest and then an Anglican bishop. 'During the four years that he was our local Anglican bishop, Dino was a regular visitor to the DHC and encouraged his clergy to share actively in our ministry. Then in his retirement, he approached us to 'ask' if he could be a volunteer. It was deeply moving to see him come in as humble 'Fr Dino' and happily spend hours attentively in conversation, in fluent Zulu, with our homeless guests,' said Perrier. 'We echo the words of his friend Cardinal Napier who, very fittingly, extended his condolences to Dino's three families: his religious family of Consolata missionaries, his episcopal family in the Anglican dioceses of Zululand and Natal, and his biological family comprising maDlamini his wife of 33 years, their four children and six grandchildren.' For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
El Salvador Rights Group Says Forced Out By Bukele 'Repression'
A leading rights group investigating corruption in El Salvador said Thursday it had been forced into exile due to "escalating repression" by President Nayib Bukele's administration. The Cristosal group is a vocal critic of Bukele's controversial anti-crime policies and also provides assistance to families of migrants deported by the United States and imprisoned in El Salvador. It denounced "harassment," "espionage" and "defamation" by what it called a "dictatorship" being established in El Salvador under Bukele, an ally of US President Donald Trump. "Faced with increasing repression and the closure of democratic spaces in El Salvador, Cristosal is forced to suspend its operations in El Salvador," its director Noah Bullock told a news conference in Guatemala. He said that "a repressive apparatus that acts without limits" meant that "we are forced to choose between prison or exile." The withdrawal follows the arrest in May of the head of Cristosal's anti-corruption unit, Ruth Lopez, who is accused of illicit enrichment, a charge she denies. In recent months, several other Bukele critics have been arrested in El Salvador. Amnesty International this month declared Lopez a prisoner of conscience and called for her immediate release. The activist's arrest was "part of a systematic pattern of criminalization that seeks to silence those who denounce abuses or demand justice and transparency in public administration," Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said. A "foreign agents" law means that NGOs must pay a 30 percent tax on the funds they receive. Cristosal, whose main source of income is donations, called it "an instrument of authoritarian control." International rights groups reacted with alarm to Cristosal's exit. "The cost: less justice for victims, weaker oversight of abuses, and fewer spaces for dissent," Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said on X. The Washington Office on Latin America advocacy organization expressed its support for Cristosal and other civil society groups "facing harassment and defamation campaigns under Bukele's government." Cristosal, which had around 30 activists in El Salvador, said the country "is no longer a state governed by the rule of law." "When exercising freedoms or simply dissenting against power carries consequences, these are clear signs that a dictatorship has taken hold," Bullock said. While rights groups have criticized Bukele's methods, a dramatic drop in the homicide rate has made him popular at home. Cristosal helps families of Salvadorans caught up in Bukele's self-declared "war" on gangs, as well as more than 250 Venezuelans deported by Trump's administration, which paid El Salvador to hold them in a notorious high-security facility. Cristosal said in April that police officers had entered its headquarters to film and photograph the premises and vehicles of journalists invited to a press conference. The group, founded by Anglican bishops, said it would continue to operate from its offices in Guatemala and Honduras, after a quarter-century presence in El Salvador, to protect the safety of its members. Thousands of people have been detained under Bukele's state of emergency, often without court orders, the right to phone calls or even to see a lawyer. "Democratic institutions in El Salvador have disappeared and are under the control of Bukele's authoritarian regime," said Cristosal's head of litigation, Abraham Abrego. A survey released by Central American University last week showed that six out of 10 Salvadorans fear criticizing the president or his government, as it could lead to "negative consequences," such as arrest. Cristosal activists were 'forced to choose between prison or exile,' its director Noah Bullock told a news conference AFP While rights groups have criticized his methods, a drop in the homicide rate has made President Nayib Bukele popular in El Salvador AFP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exclusive-El Salvador rights group flees Bukele's deepening crackdown
By Emily Green (Reuters) -El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's drive to consolidate his grip on power and crack down on critics and humanitarian organizations has forced a leading human rights organization to suspend operations in the country and go into exile, the group told Reuters. Cristosal, which was founded by Anglican bishops 25 years ago and came to prominence for its investigations into corruption in the Bukele government, has pulled 20 employees out of the country in recent weeks. The group told Reuters it has just one employee left in El Salvador: Ruth Lopez, its anti-corruption and justice director, who has been jailed since May on corruption charges. Cristosal's decision to evacuate its staff has not been previously reported. The human rights group said its decision represents a turning point in Bukele's three-year state of emergency, with many journalists and other rights groups also deeming it unsafe to continue operating there. "When it became clear that the government was prepared to persecute us criminally and that there is no possibility of defense or impartial trial, that makes it unviable to take those risks anymore," said Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal, who spoke to Reuters from Guatemala. The government brought the case against Lopez under seal, prompting her to call for a public trial. Reuters could not independently establish the charges against her. A spokesperson for El Salvador's attorney general's office didn't respond to requests for comment about why the case against Lopez is sealed, and whether officials consider her a danger. A spokesperson for Bukele did not respond to a request for comment about the pressure on human rights organizations. Since imposing a state of emergency in March 2022, Bukele has suspended constitutional rights, curtailed freedom of the press and undermined judicial independence. Human rights groups say thousands of innocent people have been swept up in his gang crackdown, which has resulted in the arrests of more than 85,000 people. Bukele has said such drastic measures were needed to eliminate the gangs' hold over the country. Homicides have fallen more than 90% since he took office, according to government figures. Despite international criticism, Bukele remains extremely popular in El Salvador, with a nearly 85% approval rating, according to a survey released in June by the Jesuit Central American University. But there are signs of unease: Nearly 60% of those surveyed said it is very likely a person or institution could suffer negative consequences for expressing criticism of the president or government. A law enacted in May makes it practically impossible for many civil rights organizations with international funding to operate, according to people working at these institutions. The law requires individuals and organizations that receive international funding to register as 'foreign agents' and places a 30% tax on every financial transaction involving foreign funds. Failure to comply could expose groups to criminal prosecution under anti-money laundering laws. Bukele, who was elected president in 2019, devoted a significant portion of his state of the union address last month to criticizing journalists and human rights groups. He said human rights groups receive 'millions each year to peddle misery and spread violence.' LAWYERS AND RIGHTS GROUPS FLEE At least four human rights groups in addition to Cristosal have withdrawn staff for security reasons, Bullock said. Reuters was able to confirm departures from two of the groups. The arrest of Lopez, Cristosal's well-known anti-corruption and justice director, marked a significant escalation in Bukele's attack on critics, rights groups say. Since May, about 60 lawyers and human rights activists have fled, according to Salvadoran human rights lawyer Ingrid Escobar, who left the country after what she described as a campaign of police harassment. At least 40 journalists have also left since May due to police harassment, surveillance and fear of imminent arrest, according to the Association of Journalists of El Salvador. In a speech before the United Nations General Assembly last year, the Salvadoran president declared that freedom of expression is protected and "we don't arrest people for their own ideas." Last month, authorities arrested constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya on charges of money laundering. An outspoken critic of the president, Anaya had called Bukele a dictator on live television. Like Lopez, Anaya's case is sealed, and a judge has ordered him to remain in prison as proceedings continue. The spokesperson for the El Salvador attorney general's office didn't respond to a request for comment about the case. Angelica Carcamo, director of the Central American Network of Journalists, said Anaya's case persuaded her that it wasn't safe to return to El Salvador. She said she fled after a home security camera captured images of armed soldiers milling outside. Reuters couldn't independently confirm this. 'As long as there are no guarantees of protection for the press or those of us who practice journalism or defend human rights, it is not advisable to return," Carcamo said. Cristosal's Bullock said Bukele has been emboldened by his alliance with President Donald Trump, cemented by the agreement reached in March to house 238 Venezuelans deported from the United States in a maximum-security prison. Bukele also resisted the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an imprisoned Salvadoran man wrongfully deported by the Trump administration. Bukele has denied Abrego Garcia's claims that he was tortured in El Salvador's mega-prison. During Bukele's visit to the White House in April, Trump said Bukele is 'one hell of a president' and 'doing incredibly for your country.' Solve the daily Crossword
