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Irish Times
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Detached Regency-style five-bed on four acres in the Curragh for €1.25m
Address : Winterberry Lodge, Eyrefield, Athgarvan, The Curragh, Co Kildare Price : €1,250,000 Agent : Jordan Town and Country Estate Agents View this property on Just beside Athgarvan village in Co Kildare , Winterberry is a modern home on 1.6 hectares (four acres) that looks like it's been there since the Regency period. It also resembles in layout many of the Curragh lodges built in British Empire days for army officers who had a penchant for horse racing. While Winterberry is not a stud, it does have a two-acre paddock with post-and-rail fencing, and lies opposite Eyrefield Stud, so its setting is tranquil. This is a luxurious home, beautifully decorated, and it is clear that meticulous attention to detail was employed throughout the build. The 354sq m (3810sq ft) five-bedroom house was built in 2005, designed by architect John O'Connell. Everything about the property , from the lush gardens to the fine architectural features, gave the owners exactly what they wanted. Doubling down on the detail and selecting the best of interior finishes with the help of Tracey Elliot initially and latterly Helen Turkington , who recently revamped the bedroom wing, has created a home of restrained elegance and a subtle design flair. Front exterior Entrance hall Drawingroom Sittingroom Book-lined hallway Built in a C shape, the drive curves around to the rear of the house and the formal entrance, bordered by bay trees and box hedging. The hall door opens on to an elegant hallway with a sumptuous floral wallpaper. An interconnected drawingroom and diningroom lie directly ahead, with panelled walls and vaulted ceilings. There are built-in bookcases either side of the marble fireplace and the floor is oak. READ MORE The diningroom is a mirror of the drawingroom. These rooms blend seamlessly together with matching fireplaces and large, bespoke gilt-framed mirrors over the mantles. But what makes these rooms most beguiling is the French doors that open on to a terrace that leads a formal lawn; it's a home made for entertaining. A sittingroom lies in the corner of the house and this, the owner says, along with the kitchen, is where they spend the most of their time. It's a gorgeous room, with windows facing south over the lawn and west to catch the evening light. The floor here is also oak, but has been sanded and lightened. There is underfloor heating throughout the house and the Ber is C3. The rest of this wing is taken up by a book-lined hallway, a guest WC, a lovely utility room, a back hall with capacious storage (papered in a beautiful pattern) and the kitchen at the heart of the home. A large combination Aga dominates one end of the kitchen, designed by John Bosco Furniture. At the end of the kitchen is a large dining area with a long pine table that holds memories of decades of family meals and evenings of homework. French doors open on to a terrace and a formal walled garden that should gladden the heart of any keen gardener. Back entrance hall Kitchen Dining area in kitchen Principal bedroom Rear exterior Walled garden Back on the other side of the house is the bedroom wing, with four bedrooms, three of which are en suite, and a bathroom. The main bedroom is lovely, with dual-aspect views over the gardens, a full-sized en suite bathroom and a dressingroom. Outside, there's a fine lawn to the front, bordered by tall hedging and mature sycamore trees, a pretty walled garden, a vegetable garden, two acres of paddocks and a large garage that could easily be converted to extra accommodation or a home office. Close to a primary school, Winterberry is a short drive from motorway routes and the towns of Newbridge and Kilcullen. The Royal Curragh Golf Club is on the doorstep, as are the beautiful open spaces of the Curragh plains. Selling in order to downsize, the owners have placed the sale in the hands of Jordan Auctioneers , seeking €1.25 million.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
The public sector sicknote epidemic: They're 60% more likely to be off than staff who work for private firms
Public sector workers are 60 per cent more likely to be off work due to illness than employees in the private sector. The extent of Britain's sick note epidemic is exposed in Office for National Statistics figures that reveal 148.9 million working days were lost last year, equivalent to 4.4 days for each worker. And the share of such absences among public sector employees was 2.9 per cent, significantly higher than the private sector's 1.8 per cent. The ONS claimed it could be explained by differences in types of jobs in the sectors and that workers in state-funded jobs were more likely to be paid for being off than those in private employment. But John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers are fed up with footing the bill for a public sector that's far more likely to be off sick. 'It reflects poor management and weak accountability. In the private sector, this would raise serious questions – in the public sector, it's too often ignored. Ministers must set clearer expectations, better oversight and ensure taxpayers aren't left footing the bill for unchecked absenteeism.' Sick rates have been higher in the public sector for every year on record, the ONS said. But in both cases, rates were lower last year than in 2023. The overall number of working days lost last year was 14.9 million down from 2023 but still 9.9 million higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The sickness absence rate of 2.5 per cent for women was higher than for men, at 1.6 per cent. James Cockett, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said some public sector roles – healthcare, education, social care and policing – could increase exposure to illness and also often be 'physically and emotionally demanding'. He said this could lead to greater rates of stress-related absence He added more public sector employers offer occupational sick pay compared with private sector employers.' Len Shackleton, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank, said: 'Private sector workers are more likely to be employed in small workplaces where absence is more noticeable and they may feel obliged not to let colleagues down. 'Their jobs may also be less secure than those in the public sector, again a motive for 'presenteeism' [where employees go to work despite being sick] which public sector workers don't feel to the same extent.'
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour-run council has ‘no excuse' for tax raid on its 33 second home owners
A Labour-run council introduced the second homes premium despite it affecting little more than 30 owners in its borough, The Telegraph can reveal. Figures show there were just 33 second homes on Rochdale's database when it agreed to hit owners with double council tax bills under new measures intended to ease housing shortages. They now face an annual average charge of £4,060, compared with £1,874 last year, according to Telegraph analysis. Local authorities in England were given the power to charge a 100pc council tax premium from April 1 under laws passed by the previous Conservative government. Unearthed government guidance shows that councils were told to only introduce the premium where 'appropriate' and 'take into account local circumstances'. Second homes accounted for just 0.04pc of Rochdale's housing stock, yet the council opted to bring in the surcharge as soon as it could. John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'These extortionate premiums were supposedly brought in to ensure that areas with high levels of second home ownership contributed to the local area. 'Even though that policy is wildly misguided, there is no excuse for councils to introduce it in areas with as little as just 33 second homes.' He added: 'It will be of little surprise to taxpayers that politicians have spied an opportunity for a cash grab, and seized it with both hands.' Back in 2023 when the topic of introducing the premium was raised, Rochdale council said there were 33 second homes in the borough. Implementing the surcharge was expected to raise £60,000 in additional income. The council told The Telegraph the number of second homes has since increased to 245 due to the opening of a new town centre development. The figure equates to 0.2pc of the borough's housing stock. The local authority is grappling with a housing shortage, but it has not been caused by the borough's small share of second home owners. There are 1,729 homes run by social housing associations which are standing empty, according to the latest government figures. Of these, around half are in such levels of disrepair that they are unable to be let out. The borough's high number of vacant homes comes as the council contends with a bulging housing waiting list of 9,000 people – one of the largest in the country. Councillor Carol Wardle, Rochdale's cabinet member for finance, said: 'In November 2023 when this premium was approved, it was in addition to the removal of discounts on empty properties and on top of other measures aimed at persuading owners to bring properties back into use rather than leaving them empty. 'Our approach is in line with the majority of other authorities in Greater Manchester and with services still under significant financial pressure we will put the premium to good use for the benefit of the local community.' Last year, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was 'clear that it expects local councils to take into account local circumstances when determining where it is appropriate for a premium to apply'. Other councils with minimal second homes include Watford, which according to government data has just 38 second homes. It has agreed to implement the premium from April 2026. The findings come after The Telegraph launched a campaign to abolish the levy, which has been supported by several politicians. Dozens of readers have been in touch to complain of exorbitant bills being issued on inherited family homes or properties that are used every week for work. Telegraph analysis revealed local authorities are spending as little as 9p in every £1 generated from the raid on affordable housing, while other councils are sitting on hundreds of empty properties of their own. A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: 'We are determined to fix the housing crisis we have inherited, but we recognise local leaders are best placed to understand the impacts that second homes can have on their areas, including driving up housing costs and damaging local services. 'That is why local councils are now able to add up to 100pc extra on the council tax bills of second homes, and it is for them to decide whether to implement this.'
