Latest news with #JohannaMurphy&Sons
Irish Examiner
15-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Whimsy, history and opportunity at €350,000 Marlogue Cottage in Cobh
LIFE unfolds at its own pace at Marlogue Cottage, where sounds of a safe harbour filter up through the trees. Some of those trees are screening the sea view, but with a bit of clearance, future occupants of the cottage can look forward to seeing what they can hear. Marlogue Cottage, Marlogue, Cobh The property will require elbow grease, but if you appreciate a house with character, the potential return is tempting. The cottage dates to the 18th century and had adjoining stables. Local knowledge says it was a farmhouse, owned by the Welsh family. In the late 1990s, it was sold to the current owner by a local lady called Joan Fennelly who gave a young auctioneer her first break. 'Joan was a good friend of mine and she gave me my first break in Cobh, it was the very first house that I sold, and I sold it for €50,000,' says auctioneer Johanna Murphy of Johanna Murphy & Sons. The same agent is back selling it and is familiar with changes made. The main change was the conversion of the stables into bedrooms. Their original usage is revealed by the presence of circular drinking troughs. A sunroom extension was built around the stable block. It's a bit like what you might expect to find in a folk park. The sunroom has a sunny, south-facing aspect, with lots of glazing and a little terrace off it, overlooking the charmingly rambling garden. Once some trees are removed, you'll be looking at the sea too. The original cottage has quirks typical of its era: a central, high-ceilinged room where the stove is nestled in a large hearth, with a couple of rooms off it, including a fitted kitchen, a bedroom, and a loft area. The cottage is on 1.5 acres with some stone outbuildings and a chicken coop, and great scope to grow your own. Down a leafy laneway, it's on the doorstep of Marlogue Woods and within a downhill walk to the shore — with some clearance needed. Ms Murphy, who is guiding the 149sq m cottage at €350,000, is seeing interest from first time buyers and people returning from overseas. 'It's just an eight-minute drive to Cobh town and near Ballynoe village. It's ideal for someone who wants to embrace country life, or it could be a fabulous Airbnb,' the agent says. VERDICT: Oodles of potential for a buyer prepared to take on a project.
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Charm and war telegrams under the thatch at €275k Glantane cottage
YOU'D half expect a rabbit in a waistcoat to greet you at The Thatch in Glantane, such is its whimsy and charm. In fact, it was bought by a real-life couple two years ago. One of their first tasks was to have the thatch re-done. They were able to source a thatcher with relative ease, as thatched homes remain a feature of the Blackwater Valley area. It took more than a week to do, and the result is masterful: Folk art and practical magic rolled into one. When the couple bought the house in 2023, it had been renovated by previous owners 20 years earlier but was vacant for a considerable time. The interior has a medieval feel, although the house is not much more than 100 years old. It's known locally as Finnegan's Cottage and selling agent Johanna Murphy, of Johanna Murphy & Sons, says it was a meeting place for units of the Lombardstown Volunteers in the lead-in to the War of Independence, with Liam Lynch a frequent visitor. 'When the house was refurbished, they found Volunteer telegrams hidden in the thatch,' the owners say. The current owners did quite a bit of 'freshening up' and site clearance. 'All the utilities are in place and in good order,' they say. New owners will still have a good bit of work to do but there are grants of up to €50,000 for a vacant property. There's also a thatching grant and insurance is in place. Previous owners extended the cottage and added a patio. Ms Murphy says if new owners wanted to extend further, there's a good example nearby of a modern extension added to a thatched cottage 'which complements it and brings it into the 21st century'. Glantane, near Mallow, is about a 30-minute drive from Cork City. The 119 sq m home is on the market with a €275,000 guide price. VERDICT: Could be quirky Airbnb or starter home. It deserves committed owners. It has fairytale charm, but PVC windows and doors need to go.
