Latest news with #SherryFitzGeraldO'Donovan
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Inside the €695k Blackwater Mill home blending 1800s history with luxury country living
Set just a field back from Munster's River Blackwater, and with roots back more than two centuries, is the 'older meets older still', Blackwater Mill. Make an entrance in style? The mix, a 1970s over-basement home with a B3 BER, is set within the immaculate walled grounds of a 1805 flour mill, switched to linen mill use a century later by 1902, reflecting changes in economic and industrial models, before finding a 'new' use, as a sheltered private home, from 1975. Interiors are bright and spacious The latter build, now half a century old, went through subsequent overhauls too since and comes now for sale, likely to continue in its current iteration, with a number of strong selling factors. Hit the deck Apart from the size and interior quality — and its basement gym and games rooms, plus large hot tub — the attractions include the very substantial surrounding high walls sheltering the grounds and providing privacy via an electric gate in an wide stone arch on the front wall, complete with upstaging 'soldiers', like stone battlements: it's about as impressive a screening wall as you'll see on a roadside property. Blackwater Mill's basement The setting is on the N72, which runs north of the River Blackwater west from Mallow towards Rathmore, at Gurteen which is south of Kanturk and north of Millstreet, about 50km/minutes from Cork city and about 40km/minutes from Killarney. Daily grid: mill race replaced by hot tub Auctioneer Michel O'Donovan jnr of Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan is selling Blackwater Mill with a €695,000 AMV or about a competitive €1,000 per square metre, and describes the four acres of gardens and woodland it comes with as lush, with right of way access over an adjacent field to the banks of the Blackwater. Suite dreams Describing it as 'remarkable,' he says the 7,200 sq ft home has been 'meticulously restored and enhanced to offer refined country living with every modern convenience'. Instances of modernity include an EV charging station, thermal solar system, smart-home technology, a custom built bar by a dining table for 12 (come to think of it, that's more old fashioned banqueting than nouvelle cuisine?) and an impressive BER B3 thanks to insulation upgrades, meaning the chance for lower 'green' mortgage rates. Babbling books Rooms include that dining room, living room, modern kitchen/family dining with vast double range oven and small circular island with sink and spice racks; an office, and two/three mid level bedrooms, with four first floor bedrooms around a long galleried landing with arched window, with the bedrooms at either end being en suite with walk-thru robes. In all, there are three ensuite bedrooms and five bathrooms in total, plus guest WC, quite the US standard of wash room provision…possibly to go along with the American walnut flooring used in a number of rooms. There's both internal and external access to a substantial deck area, with composite decking used, at mid level abutting the stone back boundary wall as a ready reminder of the novelty of the site and its mill heritage. VERDICT: Comparatively new and upgraded meets much, much older, with grounds and Blackwater river access…definitely a one-off.
Irish Independent
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
How ‘mini Downton Abbey' in Cork offered quirky childhood with coach house, priest holes and over six acres
Price: €795,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan (021) 4621166 'Growing up here, we were just like the Famous Five,' Carrie Horgan says of her family home: Ballynona Cottage, just outside Midleton in Co Cork, which Horgan says was perfect for children. With its church windows, hidden doors, priest holes, bells, gun room and 6.15 acres of idyllic tree-filled land, she says the five siblings grew up like the titular characters from the well-loved Enid Blyton novels. 'It was an endless journey of discovery. We made tree houses, discovered hidden doors, and played in the courtyard, outhouses and land around." Dating back to 1842 in its current form, the house was designed for more adult pursuits of the gentry. The Victorian-era hunting lodge was built for the esteemed Wigmore family, who lived in the surrounding 400-acre Ballynona estate. Despite being over 180 years old, the house has only changed hands four times. Captain Anthony John Charles Donelan, an Irish nationalist politician is believed to have been connected to it at one point in time. 'The lodge was used seasonally for entertaining and hunting deer, pheasant and foxes. No one from the family lived here permanently, but people would come and stay during hunting season. They'd have dinner parties and keep their guns in the gun room. It's real landed gentry stuff,' says Horgan. 'My dad kept guns there too. He had a room full of shooting rifles. We did clay pigeon shooting here, so we kept the tradition.' Their father Liam Horgan bought the property back in 1976. 'I was two when we moved here. It was pretty derelict, and he spent almost four decades working on it until he died,' she says. 'By day he was an accountant and by night, he'd restore all the original features – the sash windows, shutters, wooden beams, flooring and doors. I don't know how much he spent on it, but it was a labour of love.' Horgan says the five children found lots of hidden treasures along the way. 'There are little cubby holes, old medicine bottles, old fashioned hot water bottles...' 'One day, when we ripped off wallpaper, we found a priest hole in one of the bedrooms, just above the bedroom door." The man-sized hiding spots were used to conceal Catholic priests from the authorities in penal times. These were constructed when priests faced persecution, including imprisonment and execution. While the house is believed to have dated from later, with the country in turmoil during this period, there might still have been a need to hide away. There's a porch with Doric columns, cast-iron chimney pieces, ornate cornices and tiled flooring. The ecclesiastical ceilings and gothic arched windows are from the same architect who designed Midleton church. "In the hallway, there's a random door just floating alongside the stairs, which looks like something from Alice in Wonderland. My mum used to keep her clothes in here.' In the dining room, there's an egg collection from her dad, which he gathered and recorded over years. "The dining room also still has the old servants' bells, which you ring to tell everyone dinner is ready. There are so many fun quirks." Spanning well over 2,600 sq ft, the main house comes with three double bedrooms and a main bathroom upstairs, with a living room, formal dining room, study, sunroom, and a grand entrance hall with vaulted ceilings and marble fireplace on the ground floor. 'The three reception rooms all have fireplaces, and it's so cosy around Christmas time when they're all lit. It's like a stately home, but cosy. Like a mini Downton Abbey. The kitchen is really cosy, with an Aga and stable door leading on to the courtyard. 'All rooms have doors leading from them, which opens up the house," Horgan says. The coach house is separate from the main property and has a kitchen, bathroom and spiral staircase to a double bedroom. There is also a garage, sheds and a stone-walled courtyard which 'really catches the sun,' according to Horgan. Outside, the long driveway boasts mature trees including ash, oak, sycamore, Scots pine and Spanish chestnut. 'Dad loved his privacy, so no one could look in. We were surrounded by trees, but Storm Ophelia knocked some of them down, revealing an incredible view." The well-maintained garden is helped by Herby the goat, also known as the organic lawn mower. "Herby is a fantastic goat, who looks after the grass and the property. He's our third goat and such a valuable addition because he's munches the grass and weeds." A short distance away from the main house, there are stables with two possible floors for renovation. "Anyone who wants to buy the place could turn the stables into an Airbnb. You could also get horses. There are so many possibilities." Now it's time for the family to move on, and the house is up for sale. "We'd love someone who appreciates it and is sensitive to the preservation of the house,' Horgan says. 'It's not a listed building, but there are lovely architectural aspects to it." "When I was younger, my brother scared me that the place is haunted, but it isn't. Often these houses are filled with mildew, but this is really warm and welcoming. It's got really good vibes. You can update it, but it's really cosy. "We had an amazing childhood here,' she continues. 'There's a fantastic school in Midleton too, and it's really close to places like Kinsale, Crosshaven and the five-star Castlemartyr Resort.' Midleton is an eight-minute drive, and Cork city is only around 35 minutes away. Whiskey fans will be close to the distillery, which has been producing whiskey since 1825. It's also close to the world famous Ballymaloe cookery school. Ballynona Cottage, set on 6.15 acres, is on the market with an asking price of €795,000 through Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan.
Irish Examiner
07-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
From blueprint to dream home — a draughtsman's €850k labour of love in Leamlara
Leamlara, Co Cork €850,000 Size 412 sq m (4435 sq ft) Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 BER C3 A CHAP skilled at turning concepts in to blueprints, and with the technical nous to design his own home, gave free reign to his creativity when drawing up plans for this distinctive Leamlara property. Draughtsman Kevin O'Riordan had a store of knowledge by the time he and his wife, Linda, got down to researching the kind of home they would like. They built the house in Ballyvatta while the Celtic Tiger was still rumbling and didn't scrimp on any of the materials. The warm, earthy hues of Ballydesmond stone are everywhere. 'It took 14 truckloads of stone in total, and it took two stonemasons six weeks to build the fireplace,' Kevin says. The masons did a remarkable job. The stone chimney breast sweeps up through two floors into the vaulted, double-height ceiling. It's outdone only by the showstopping glazed wall of windows that rises into the vault, delivering stunning countryside views. 'When you come here first, you think it's remote, but, actually, we're only 10 minutes from Glounthaune and 15 minutes from Midleton, and Watergrasshill village is a three-minute spin,' Kevin says. Their home, named Suaimhneas (Tranquility), has a touch of west coast US about the interior. The entire ground floor is largely open plan and steps down through three levels. The towering chimney breast acts as a divider between the dining area and lounge and has a double-aspect gas fire. The kitchen, with cherry timber units and granite worktops, is off to one side. Italian Travertine flooring runs throughout the ground floor. Underfloor heating runs through the house, as the upstairs floors are also concrete. Much of the internal work is bespoke (eg, the impressive, handmade, solid-walnut stairs, which leads to a mezzanine lounge, with terrific light levels). Three of four bedrooms are upstairs, with en-suite bath and separate shower and 'his' and 'her' walk-in wardrobes in the main. There's a downstairs bedroom and the option of turning a study in to a fifth. As Suaimhneas is set on 1.7 acres (mainly lawn), the couple had plenty of space to create patio areas. The main one is accessed off the large lounge and also the utility room. There are no less than four sets of patio doors to different seating areas. One of the most impressive details is the time it took to build the house. Given its huge size — c 4,500 sq ft, with plenty of room to entertain 20 at Christmas dinner — it's no mean feat that it was done and dusted in 18 months. 'We started work on March 1, 2005 and we moved in on September 1, 2006,' says Kevin, who project-managed the build. Twenty years later, and as they spend more time overseas, the couple are downsizing and selling up. Ed O'Donovan, of Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan, says it's a 'magnificent property', with 'incredible attention to detail' and 'an abundance of living space'. He's seeing good interest from house hunters looking to move out of Cork City to the countryside, yet less than 15 minutes from the Jack Lynch Tunnel. The house comes with a double garage. Mr O'Donovan's price for this striking home is €850,000. VERDICT: A home that cuts quite a dash with great attention to detail and high-end finishes.
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Developers are eyeing up €2.4m Cloyne lands
A 7.5-acre land parcel in Cloyne, zoned for housing and on the market with a €2.4m guide price, is attracting interest from developers in both East Cork and Cork City. Owned by the estate of builder Dan Kenneally who was behind several popular housing schemes in East Cork, including An Traonach, which adjoins this site — the land is currently being used for agricultural purposes. Buildings in one corner of the site, where there is road frontage, include a cottage and a farmyard with crop sheds, machinery sheds, and a disused general purpose roof shed. To the east of Cloyne village centre, the 3.04ha of development land is zoned existing residential/mixed residential. The agent handling the sale, Ed O'Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald O'Donovan, said there is 'good interest from local developers and from a few developers in Cork City too'. 'The interest is predominantly in residential, but there are some looking at mixed residential/commercial,' Mr O'Donovan added. The site, which is level throughout, with 170m of frontage onto the R631, is suitable for different development uses — with a focus on residential — and is being sold subject to full planning permission. Mr O'Donovan described the land, which he said has the benefit of a positive planning history, as 'a prime development opportunity'. A pedestrian path connects to the centre of Cloyne village, where there is a local primary school, shops, and other amenities. Midleton, the nearest town, is less than a 10-minute drive away, while Cork City is a 30-minute spin. The area is near a choice of East Cork beaches, such as Garryvoe, Youghal, Whitegate, Ballycroneen and Ballybrannigan, The site itself is directly across the road from the Lus an Ime housing estate, another Dan Kenneally scheme, where a three-bed home recently went sale agreed at €380,000. Under the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028, housing density in Cloyne is around 20-35 units per hectare, or 10-15 units per acre 'generally applicable for future development on edge of centre sites'. DETAILS: Ed O'Donovan, SherryFitz O'Donovan. Call: 0214621166; Email: ed@
