Latest news with #SherryFitzGeraldO'Donovan
Irish Examiner
18 hours ago
- 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@
