5 days ago
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.
