22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Fancy living in a church? Here's four houses of worship on the market ready for family living
The prediction comes as housing construction efforts are now materialising and will eventually take pressure off the housing market according to the BPFI's latest Housing Market Monitor report.
With that in mind, those looking for an unconventional dwelling to call home may be in luck as these four renovated churches on the housing market may become slightly more in reach in the months ahead.
St. Catherine's, Church Lane, Newport, Co. Mayo (€950,000): The first property was retired from use as a church around 1990 and was architecturally converted into a residence after. Built of limestone, the property blends the old and new to create a comfortable and atmospheric residence intact with its roots.
Some of St Catherine's exceptional features still remain including Egyptian sandstone flagstone tiling throughout the ground floor, an original stained glass window in the kitchen/ dining room which was sensitively restored by local artist Linda Grieve/Mulloy as well as some of the original flagstone flooring.
The Old Church, Caherconlish, Co. Limerick (€675,000): The second property "The Old Church", is a former Church of Ireland building which was designed by Dublin architect Edward Henry Carson. It was converted to a private residence in 1997 and later refurbished, extended and redecorated in 2015.
This unconventional family home is a limestone building with buttresses, a vestry, a belfry, Gothic doorways, pointed arches, and a multitude of stained glass windows. The windows are both high pointed and multifoil rose-shaped.
The extension added a sunroom at ground level and a master bedroom on the first floor. The extension is an architect-designed steel structure which integrates with the original church roof design.
The accommodation includes entrance porch, hall, four reception rooms, five bedrooms, utility, four bathrooms.
The Old Church, Kilotteran, Waterford City Centre (€775,000): The renovated church makes for unique home in Waterford city. Its origins date back to 612 AD and its current structure was built in 1858.
The property lay derelict until its transformation into a private residence in 1997 by the current owners. In 2008, they expanded it with a modern zinc-clad extension, enhancing the living and entertaining space.
Many of the original features have been preserved throughout the house such as the mosaic floors, exposed oak A-frames, and some of the original diamond fenestration on the interior.
New purlins were crafted from local Douglas Fir and the floors are made of pitch pine salvaged from the old Graves Hardware building, as well as the fireplace beam.
The kitchen is also constructed from pitch pine that was repurposed from the salvaged staircase of Graves Ltd. while the upstairs floors are Irish larch, while the kitchen and new extension floors are Indonesian merbau.
Farnham Street, Cavan, Co. Cavan (€950,000): Built circa 1875, the property is a detached three-bay two-storey former Methodist manse, with a projecting central entrance bay and two-storey return to rear which is currently in use as a private residence.
The owners have consciously retained many of its original features which make it well known and attractive to Cavan's architecture, with cut limestone walls, pitched slate roof and original stained glass feature window to the front facade.
The house also retains the original bell tower with the steeple believed to have been removed in the 1960's which also adds to its historical charm.
The location leaves the property within close proximity to all of Cavan's landmark buildings and amenities with Cavan's Main Street only a short walk away.
