Property 17-09-2011

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Property 17.09.2011

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& Interiors

Elevated standards A dormer home with a difference is a smart option for upwardly mobile buyers Photo by Denis Scannell

PLUS • MARKET MOVERS • STYLISH HOMES • GET THE LOOK • ANTIQUES • STEP BY STEP DIY

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PROPERTY

HOUSE WEEK OF THE

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Tommy Barker reports

Rochestown

€595,000

10 Charlemont Heights, Coach Hill ���� ���� ���� ��������� � ��� �������� ���� ���� �� � ���� �� ����� ��� ���� �� ������ �������� ��� ������� ���� ������ �� ����� ������ ��� ������ ��� ��� ���������� ��� ���� � ���� � ������ � ������ ���� � ����������������� ���� � ������� � ������ ���� � � �������� � ��� � ����� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Call Ann O’Mahony on 021 493 7409 or 086 805 5834

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T’S great to be handy, and handier still if you’re room, home office, gym, storage and overspill, all talented — and the man of the house at no 6, these and more, with permanent stair access.

Diamond Hill is both, able to turn his hand to Downstairs, quality joinery work also sets the rooms building, carpentry, and gardening. apart, with oak, birch and walnut flooring, and the The hard-working duo at this Monkstown, Cork main sitting room is 23’ by 21’, with raised gas harbour area family home, built their bungalow base fireplace, a real party room, which links both to the ten years ago, after they’d renovated a period home hall and to the inviting kitchen. nearby in Passage West.

The kitchen is Now, with children a bit of a cook’s Location: Monkstown, Cork harbour suddenly grown up and paradise, with Price: €490,000 flown the nest, the side ‘wings’ from nicely-different, and the long run of Size: 2,002 sq ft plus 635 sq ft attic thoughtfully-tweaked, walnut units, all (186 sq m plus 59 sq m) house is just up for sale. topped in black Buy it fast, and you’ll granite, as is the Bedrooms: 4 even get your ‘five a odd-shaped BER rating: Pending day’ fruit and veg from kitchen island. the garden: it’s a Splash-back Broadband: Yes masterclass in tiling is muted, Best feature: Full of surprises horticultural pale blue Metro productivity, backed up tiles, tres chic. A by lots of nooks, seating areas and bowers. facing, tall wall is faced in strips of Chinese stone, but Selling agent, Timothy Sullivan, has the surprise all eyes in this generous room are toward the tall package on the market for its trading-down owners at gable wall of glass. €490,000, and it’s a surprise because you wouldn’t Two of the four bedrooms are en-suite, each has topsuspect it’s too out of the norm when first seen from notch power showers with lots of jets and water fonts, the entrance, good and all as its flower beds are. The and the master bedroom’s en suite is set, wet-room whole place quickly grows on you. fashion, behind a curved wall of glass blocks.

So, surprises include a smashing, lofty open There’s an unexpected but low-key air of modernity/ kitchen/dining/family room at the back, with heating contemporary look, especially given the fact it was all from solar gain, or a recently-installed solid-fuel done like this ten years ago when first built — feature stove. This room is overlooked by a glass and definitely ahead of the curve at the time. steel baluster balcony from the (almost hidden) two No 6 was built as a one-off on a site in Monkstown’s huge, well-finished and multi-use (20’ by 11’, and 32’ by private, elevated Diamond Hill, one of the later house 12’) attic rooms, a massive boon to the house, at least arrivals here on its sloping site, with Cork harbour’s to those under 6’ tall. Think den, home cinema, games waters glimpsed via mature boundaries, views likely

CONTENTS 4

TRADING UP With a green, curved roof, a west Cork cottage is a bit of a barn-stormer.

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NEW HOMES Eight brand-new houses in Cork’s Wilton have great B1 energy ratings.

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FEATURE Sneem’s Tigh Oisre (house of the oysters) is a bit of a multi-cultural pearl.

10 COVER STORY Selling No 5 The Lawn is a job made easy by house-proud owners.

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to open up a bit more in winter when leaves are gone.

The site’s slope, gentle enough, is used to good effect, creating special areas of interest in tiers, ranging down from the parking spot past three levels of shrubs, the house is all on the one level, and then the back garden, which is the sunniest aspect, is divided up by mass planting, hard landscaping, wending water features, pond, decking, barbecue area, creeper-clad pergola with seating for four, and raised beds for salads and vegetables, with timbers painted a trendy purple.

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

€500,000

Grenagh

€365,000

Blarney

€325,000

Douglas

€305,000

4 Elden, Maryborough Hill ������������ � ��� ���� ������ ���� �� ������ ������ ����� ��������� � ���� � ����������������� � ������ � ���� � �� � � ���� � � ��� � ����� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Call Ann O’Mahony on 021 493 7409 or 086 805 5834

€595,000

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Whites Cross

€360,000

Ballinoe ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� ����� ���� ���� �� ����� ��� ����� � ���� ���� ������� �� �������� ��������� ����������� � ����� � ���� � ������ � ������ � ���������� � ������ � � ���� � ���� � ���� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 493 7407 / 086 820 5474

7 Lios Na Rí ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� ���� ��� ���� �� ��� ���� ������� ����������� � ����� ����� ���� ������� ����� ����������� � ���� � ������ � ������ � ���������� � ���� � ������� � �� � � ���� � � ��� � ����� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 493 7407 / 086 820 5474

VERDICT: Definitely one to view, there’s a great mix of inside living space, an adaptable attic already converted, and gardens ready to enjoy, with all the hard work done.

Kinsale,

Abbey Fort from ���� ��� ����� ���������� � ��� ��������� � ��� �������� ��� ��� ��� ���������� ���������� ������ �������� ����� ���� ���� ����������� ����� ���� �������� ��� ������ �������� ������ ������� �������� �� ������� ������ ��� ��� ��� ���������� ��� �� �� �� ����� �� �� ������ � ����� ������ ����� � ��������� �� ����� ����� ���� ��� ��� ���� Call Sheila O’Flynn on 021 427 3041 or 086 257 4948 or Paul Reid 086 830 3220

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WARMING UP DIY IN THE GARDEN ANTIQUES CLASSIFIEDS

PROPERTY EDITOR Tommy Barker, 021 4802221 property@examiner.ie INTERIORS EDITOR Esther McCarthy, 021 4802386 interiors@examiner.ie INTERIORS ADVERTISING Ger Duggan, 021 4802192 interiorads@examiner.ie

€165,000

22 Elden, Maryborough Hill ������ � ��� ����� ����� ���������� ������� ������� ��� ������� ����������� � ���� � ���������� � ������ � � ���� � ��� � ����� ��� �� � � ����� �� �� ������� Ann O’Mahony on 021 493 7409 or 086 805 5834

������ �������� ��������� ���� �������� ������� �� ��� ���� ����� �� ���� ����� ���� ���� ����� � ���� � ������ � ���������� � ���� � ������ � � ���� � ��� � �������� �� ������� �� �� ������� ����� ������� Call Michael O’Donovan 021 493 7407 / 086 820 5474

PROPERTY ADVERTISING Marguerite Stafford, 021 4802100 marguerite.stafford@examiner.ie

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Douglas

Model Farm Road

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

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PROPERTY

TRADING UP

LEAP, CORK €279,000 Sq m: 186 (2,000 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

FOREST HILL DEVELOPMENT ADVERTISING FEATURE

We scan a selection of trading up homes around the country

MONTENOTTE, CORK €425,000 Bedrooms: 4 Broadband: Yes

A SUPERB quality renovation and cottage extension, complete with barnlike curved green galvanised barn roof wing to the back, mark this Shreelane, Leap, west Cork house out as something rather special. And, it is.

Briefly on the market three years ago for its eco-aware builder-owner Adam Ferguson, it is now back up for sale, like a breath of fresh air in a week of gales, and is priced at €279,000 via agent Henry O’Leary, based in nearby Clonakilty, who says “the quality is indisputable, the design amazing and the glorious sense of openness, light and space are truly breath-taking.”

The re-design sees two ground floor bedrooms, one a real master suite in the high-ceilinged barn-shaped rear extension, and two more overhead, one also en suite.

There’s also a large living/dining room, and off it an adjoining long galley kitchen — very long, showing 48’ by 6’ on the plans as a sort of lean-to, linked to the open living space by two broadshouldered arches which give the impression of wider space.

The quality job is on an acre, with stream at a boundary, and the house is stone-faced, in a modern take on the traditional and with lots of floor to ceiling windows and French doors.

VERDICT: A lovely mix of large, bright rooms and quirky design details.

Sq m: 168 (1,800 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

A REFURBISHED, converted period-era coachhouse in Cork city’s old north city suburb of Montenotte is up for sale, aiming to attract offers close to its market-launch price of €425,000.

Rarity, and some internal distinguishing features, mark The Coachouse out as worth a look, says estate agent Jarlath Boyd of Timothy Sullivan Associates.

One of those internal differences is the section of the main 16’ by 14’ living room which is double height, open to an upper floor landing.

Then, other rooms include an 11’ by 11’ dining room, country-style kitchen, back hall/utility with guest WC, and overhead are three bedrooms, one with en suite shower room, plus main bathroom.

Comfort levels are good, especially given its age of probably a century and a half of existence, windows are doubleglazed, in teak frames, and heating is gas-fired.

Behind, there’s a rear yard, and car parking is on-street in front. Location is at the eastern end of the Lower Montenotte Road, with two access points by Lovers Walk, or via Corkscrew Hill.

VERDICT: Well-converted and wellkept, for those looking for convenience and character, The Coachhouse might be worth taking a trot up to.

SCHULL, CORK €250,000 Sq m: 111 (1,200 sq ft) BER rating: Pending

VERDICT: The setting is the current star, but with two-thirds of an acre, there’s scope to add amenity, extend, and grow in time, so what’s holidays today could be retirement tomorrow.

FANCY a slice of the real Killarney, a gothic-style cottage within the National Park? Dating to 1839 is Reen Cottage, pretty as an old postcard — and as crumpled as one too. It was originally owned by the McShain family of the old Killarney Estate, who bequethed much of the land of the now 25,000 acre public park. Now close to derelict, Reen Cottage is a bit of a project, on 2.3 acres of woodland, and is one of several linked lots being offered by local agent Tom Spillane. He also has an adjoining wooded plot of almost eight acres, with planing for nine new houses. He’s looking for €750,000 for the whole kit and caboodle, totalling over 10 acres with house and nine sites (it had

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: Yes

BUSINESS is 1,000% better than the last few years — such is the positive verdict from west Cork’s Ballydehob/Schull, according to local agent Martin Swanton.

His assertion hits like a surprise gust from Hurricane Katya, but he backs it up with details of over a dozen sales gone/going through in the past few months, to a mix of buyers, from Britain, relocators from Dublin, and locals able to afford to buy/move after price drops.

To continue his running streak of sales, he’s reduced the asking price on a Schull area bungalow at Lissacaha to €250,000, from €375,000.

Its big selling point is its setting, on two-thirds of an acre, a couple of miles up and over from Schull, which gives it views over Dunmanus Bay and the Sheep’s Head peninsula.

The bungalow is quite standard right now, having been used as a family home, and has three bedrooms with one en suite, open plan kitchen/living/ dining room, plus utility and main bathroom. And, as a building bonus, there’s a quite large garage/workshop, divided in two, with separate access.

KILLARNEY, KERRY €250,000/€750,000

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THE LOUGH, CORK €125,000 Sq m: 68 (750 sq ft) BER rating: Irrelevant, right now

Bedrooms: 3 Broadband: In time!

DID you see the sparks fly on Wednesday last’s Room to Improve RTÉ TV house renovation project? Well, now you can follow the good steps and the hunter star Orion to your own dream home, just a few doors up from this week’s TV new series opening piece.

Architect Dermot Bannon called to Cork’s Hartland’s Road to oversee a 90-year-old three-bed cottage’s renewal and upgrade. It had cost its buyers €240,000 a year or so ago, and was close to knocking material, but they spent €140,000 on saving and enhancing it, and worth the work.

Now, a few doors away, auctioneers Cahalane Skuse have the do-upper/ salvageable site and maybe next year’s telly project in the winsome, countrystyle cottage called Orion.

Near the Lough, UCC etc, it has three beds, living room, kitchen/dining room, plus bathroom - and needs just about everything done.

It’s on a shared access drive and “will require a zest for refurbishment, however the reward will merit the effort,” says Peter Skuse, hoping for offers around €125,000, and he says the TV exposure’s already bringing calls.

VERDICT: Yes, indeed, there’s “room to improve”, with a fully finished role model just a few doors away for inspiration.

Sq m: 139 (1,500 sq ft) BER rating:Exempt

Bedrooms: 3 Best feature: History

sold back in 2004/05 for over €3 million to a consortium).

If you can prise Reen Cottage and its decent site on the Ross Road out on its own, you might get it for around €250,000. Mr Spillane reckons you’ll get permission for a sympathetic upgrade to the existing dwelling, given that money needs to be spend to save it, but it is a protected structure, so all works must be approved.

It’s near Lough Laune, as well as Killarney Race Course, Ross Golf Club and Ross Castle, about a ten minute walk from the town.

VERDICT: Reen Cottage is rooted in Killarney’s glories.

Astra, still showing how it’s done in Carrigaline I T may be hard to believe, in the current climate, that builders would be pouring new foundations but Astra Construction in Carrigaline is doing just that. In fact due to the constant demand for their homes in Forest Hill there are now only nine houses left on the market out of 130 houses completed to date. The nine remaining houses consist of 2 4-bed detached and a range of 2 & 3 bed houses. For the last 3 years Astra have sold 30 houses each year and managing director Stephen McCarthy fully expects that this year won’t be any different.

We’re sitting in the office which is located on site, overseeing the next phase of Forest Hill on the outskirts of Carrigaline. Perhaps therein lies a clue to the company’s continued success; Astra are literally on the ground and tuned in to what the market is looking for and has its own in-house sales person, Eileen Crowley, who looks after customers through every stage of the purchasing process.

“There’s still a demand for houses,” says Stephen McCarthy somewhat philosophically. “Of course it’s not the same as it was. It’s just that things move that bit more slowly nowadays too – from clients getting their finance to the completion of the transaction or of the house itself.”

For the last 21 years Astra Construction have been building homes in Carrigaline and their continued success lies in the reputation they have established for producing homes of a very high standard.

SHOWHOUSE OPEN Saturdays & Sundays from 2:30 - 4:30pm

Due to the constant demand for their homes in Forest Hill, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, there are now only 9 houses left on the market out of 130 On entering Forest Hill, the first impression you get certainly bears this out. There is a great deal of space around and in front of each dwelling and the overall site enjoys a fairly unique setting on a very gentle incline

that affords you a view of the rolling countryside from any point within the estate. It is evident that a lot of time and care went into the design stage to optimise the rural aspect of the development.

“People still want the best,” says Stephen McCarthy as we drive through the neat, fully-occupied estate to the show-house that overlooks one of the well-maintained green areas of the site – this one with a stream running along the bottom.

The 3-bedroom semi-detached house showcases all the quality features that come as standard in Forest Hill; such as the attractive canopy over the front door, the granite window-sills and the French-sourced distinctive red tiled roof whose warm tones are echoed by the red-brick façade.

Inside, the additional space and light created by the 9-foot (2.75m) ceilings make an immediate impact. The living room is accessed through a solid timber door and its soft cream/brown décor includes a marble fireplace and hearth.

The large bright kitchen/dining room features a very good quality fitted kitchen that looks out onto the back garden of the house. Upstairs, quality carpeting and bright rooms complete the comfortable home, with attractive bathroom fittings and one ensuite shower-room.

While the houses come with a “builder’s finish” it is also possible to complete the property to the needs of the individual customers, including a turnkey finish.

For further info please call us on 021 4373940 | www.astraconstruction.ie IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

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PROPERTY

Last landings at Eagle Valley, with high BER levels

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband: Best feature:

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Wilton, Cork €310,000 128 sq m (1,385 sq ft) 4 B1 Yes Energy efficiency

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Informal viewings have started in these new Eagle Valley homes in Wilton. Tommy Barker reports

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GREAT B1 energy BER rating comes with the eight new homes being built right now at The Hedgerows, in Cork’s Eagle Valley.

Higher building and insulation standards, and an elevated niche with sweeping views past old oak trees within this large development (largely competed since the 1990s), mark this unexpected last batch of eight homes out as being well worth a look-see.

Estate agents Sherry FitzGerald have one of the eight sold, an end house with slightly larger floor area, large site footprint and wider hall, and hope to work their way down the rest of the line of four pairs of semi-ds handily enough.

The rarity alone of brand new houses being built in Wilton (near the CUH, south ring road, shops, schools etc, there’s really only Ruden Homes in Mathew Hill otherwise currently building in the locale) will guarantee

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immediate interest, and viewings.

Now, with the first duo largely completed and painted up, good to go, Sherry FitzGerald are starting viewings this coming Monday and Wednesday, noon to 2pm, and Thursday 4 to 6pm: even seeing builders on site (others are being roofed right now) has

novelty value right now, so roll up.

Selling prices for the deep, four-bed, three-bathroom homes are quoted at €310,000, and features include double insulation, high airtightness, solar panels, and a wood-burning stove in the living room, well as gas-fired central heating and open, easily-adapted attics.

Home and work opportunity This B&B could now be a spacious home. Tommy Barker reports

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband: Best feature:

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There’s off-street parking on brickpaved drives inside boundary brick walls, relatively compact gardens front and back, and there’s a high-frequency bus route just a few hundred yards away on Sarsfield Road.

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VERDICT: Brand new, out-of-the-box.

Douglas, Cork €500,000 2,800 sq ft (including outside rooms) 9, with 8 en suite Pending Yes Location and possibilities

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IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

buildings to the side/rear, currently accommodating three en suite bedrooms, plus a hair-dressing salon, and a laundry for the B&B. Inside, there are three ground floor reception rooms, with the back one opening to a large 20’ by 13’ kitchen/ breakfast room, with great granitetopped island. Beyond is a raft of decking and outdoor seating area, facing south west, with further paved garden section beyond, home to two apple trees.

Condition is very good, says auctioneer Jeremy Murphy, who suggests that those who don’t need all the en suite bedrooms can amalgamate a few rooms, remove or adapt a bathroom to walk-in dressing rooms, or some such. There’s also handy attic space, for storage, den-use, etc.

VERDICT: There’s a huge amount of space on offer here, in a strong location, ideal for the right buyer who can make best use of all its facilities.

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Behind the scenes at this three-bed bungalow reveals a welcome surprise

D Maud says they’d bought it 27 years ago, but after her husband the musician and furniture auctioneer John Byrne suddenly passed away shortly after that, she had to make her home work to rear her family of four children, getting guests from the commercial sector, weddings, tourism and more, all down to the house’s handy suburban location.

The extended semi-detached home is in a prime position on Cork’s Douglas Road, right next door to the AIB bank branch, and has three clustered outdoor

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Willow Green has got raw potential within a walk to the city centre. Tommy Barker reports

HE owner of Belvedere House can chart the past quarter century of Douglas village’s development — her family home, which she turned into a B&B, hosted the men and women who came to build, develop, fit-out, and shop.

Now retiring, Maud Byrne has put Belvedere House up for sale, and it’s an open question as to whether it goes on working for its living (it would be great for treatment rooms, etc) or reverts to straight family home use once more.

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ON’T judge a book by the cover: the modestseeming site at the suburban bungalow Willowgreen is only a front — there’s a whole other section walled off behind, making for a cracking good, bursting-with-potential, quarter acre of private grounds in all. And, it’s quite intriguing.

Back in the boom, people would have been looking at knocking and building anew on a far larger scale: now something more modest is likely as the honest 1,050 sq ft single storey three-bed comes up for sale.

Location is super-handy, on Willow Lawn, a short, steep hill which runs between Cork’s Ballinlough and Boreenmanna roads, within a walk of the city centre.

Willow Green is near the top, and its site (146’ deep, and 71’ wide) is level, and fully walled in, crying out for greenery and screening tree-planting.

It’s been well kept up front, and the house is quite original and will need updating and more spending on top of the €325,000 guide pinned to it by Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy & Co auctioneers.

An adjoining dormer house, recently significantly enlarged (practically rebuilt) shows what can be done, both in the house stakes and in opening up the garden.

Willowgreen has got raw potential, to use the word

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Best feature:

Ballinlough, Cork €325,000 98 sq m, (1,050 sq ft) 3 Pending Buckets of space

that often doesn’t mean a whole lot. New owners could do something quite exciting and radical here — if they have the bobs. Alternatively, the house could get a fits and starts makeover, and the second garden portion could be rotovated and put to work as a private market garden, complete with growing tunnel.

Right now, a handful of neighbour houses overlook this rear plot, but walls are fairly high (and there’s some lovely old limestone here) so even some judicious tree planting will soften the look and give privacy cover.

As for the double-bay fronted bungalow, there’s nothing at all wrong with it, bar showing decorative signs of age/era, and the restriction of working with just over 1,000 sq ft of space. It has two reception rooms, a small enough kitchen (10’ by 10’), three bedrooms and a bathroom, plus separate WC. Both of the reception rooms, the kitchen and one bedroom have their original tiled fireplaces, while there’s also oil-fired central heating in place, but windows are single glazed aluminium.

VERDICT: The site’s potential should get the mind racing. Quite a prospect, but you’ll have to fund the extra works as well as pay the purchase price.

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PROPERTY FEATURE

Remarkable Tigh Oisre A home near Sneem with fine wooden features was designed by an American architect, writes Trish Dromey

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Westview is off the suburban track

This Douglas house has all the essentials in place.

Tommy Barker reports

STARTER HOMES Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

South Douglas Road, Cork €215,000 75 sq m (850sq ft) 3 Pending Yes

“The Property Auction Experts” For Sale By Public Auction (unless previously sold) “On Instructions Of Owners” Tuesday 4th October 2011 @ 2.30pm The Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

31 Dunbar Street, Cork Circa 2,000 Sq Ft 4 Individual One Bed Apartments Exceptional Rental Area

Reserve Not To Exceed €280,000

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

304 River Towers, Lee Road, Cork

Superb Two Bed Apt Finished to high specification. Centrally located Ideal rental investment/owner occupier property

PEOPLE pass by the entrance to Westview all the time, and don’t even know what sort of houses (if any) are past the row’s entry point.

The terraced townhouse are at the city end of the South Douglas Road in Cork, directly opposite an access/egress point to the south city link road — and the city centre is a walk away too, via Turner’s Cross.

Here in this low-key cul de sac is No 25 Westview’s a new market arrival with John Paul Sheehan of Lisney, who guides the mid-terraced three-bed at €215,000.

South-facing, it’s in at the very rear, near a green,

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Once the couple had found US architect Hal Minick HE international flavour of Sneem is not confined to the sculpture park where exhibits to design their spacious open plan timber home, they had the frame manufactured by a Canadian company. include a Chinese panda, an Egyptian It was shipped out from Toronto and went via Goddess and a steel tree from Israel.

Rotterdam and Liverpool before arriving in Dublin.

Close to Oysterbed Pier near the village is an It was then transported by road in 40’ containers to elegant post and beam home called Tigh Oisre which Sneem where the main structure was put up in eight looks as if it might belong in the forests of New weeks.

England. This very remarkable property was in fact Nestled on a secluded site amidst rugged heather designed by a US architect, is constructed with covered hillsides, the cedar-clad house has scenic Douglas Fir imported from Canada and clad in cedar siding brought in from South Carolina. Fitted out as a views of its landscaped gardens and the surrounding countryside. holiday and rental home, The interior has been it has zinc guttering and Location: Sneem, Co Kerry fitted out to a very high drainpipes from France Price: €550,000 specification and is bright and limestone tiles from and open plan. Marketed Italy.

Size: 232 sq m, (2,500 sq ft) on the web as an exclusive Located just 500 metres Bedrooms: 3 holiday rental the house, from Oysterhaven Pier, which costs €2,200 a week the 2,500 sq ft property is BER rating: Pending in high season, is being new to the market with sold with all its contents.

Sherry FitzGerald Daly Broadband: Yes Both the kitchen and the Kenmare who are seeking Best feature: Stylish design living/dining room are offers of €550,000. It’s on a large, with tiled flooring one acre site and one of and exposed ceiling beams. Fitted with oak units , two houses built for holidays and for renting by granite worktops and high quality appliances the British couple Richard and Sarah Tyzack in 1999 and kitchen is contemporary and practical with a granite2000. topped breakfast bar. The living room has a high They called it Tigh Oisre , house of the oysters, vaulted ceiling, a fireplace and patio doors which open because of its location. As a result of its style and on to decking at the front. distinctiveness it has featured in several magazines, At ground level there are no curtains or blinds including BBC Good Homes, 25 Beautiful Homes and because the owners wanted to make the most of the Build It. garden views. The seclusion of the property means In building this house the owner Richard managed they weren’t concerned with being observed by passers to combine his love of Kerry, where he’d spent some by, although they have put curtains on the bedrooms. time as a child, with his love of US timber houses. He Other rooms at ground level include a lounge/ and his wife bought a six acre site which contained a sunroom, a pantry/utility room and a wet room. The plot with a mature garden which is where they built upper level has an octagonal-shaped landing leading Tigh Oisre.

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with the St Finbarr’s hospital boundary behind and so is even quieter than many of its neighbours, while it’s also in very good order. Mr Sheehan says it will share an appeal to investors/first-time buyers and traders down.

It has all the essentials, such as off-street parking in front, rear garden with lawn space and storage shed, and rooms inside No 25 include sitting room and kitchen/dining room at ground floor level, with three bedrooms plus bathroom.

VERDICT: Neat, straightforward package, and so handily-set.

Five-bed starter has 2,000 sq ft of space into three very large bedrooms. The master bedroom has an en suite with both a shower and a cast iron bath as well as a queen-sized bed. The second bedroom also has an en suite, while the third has a wooden balcony leading on to a walkway going up a rugged hillside to a viewing point.

Tigh Oisre is located in a cul de sac three miles from the village of Sneem. A selling point for the holiday rental market is the fact that it’s just one mile from Parknasilla hotel which is frequented by international guests.

Auctioneer Elaine Daly says the selling points for Tigh Oisre include the uniqueness of the design and the location. “It’s a luxurious family home, built and furnished to the very highest standards and is located just half a mile from Oysterbed Pier, a secluded and hidden piece of paradise.’’

Period house needs upgrade, says Tommy Barker

Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Broadband:

Gardiner’s Hill, Cork €230,000 205 sq m (2,200 sq ft) 5 Not yet tested Available

Reserve Not To Exceed €125,000

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Silverdale, Ballinlough, Cork Former Medical Centre/Commercial Unit 5 offices/rooms. Parking area to front of property Excellent location close to Douglas & Link Roads

Reserve Not To Exceed €155,000

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• More Auction Properties To Feature In Coming Weeks For Further Information & Viewings Contact The Auction Team Denis A Barrett Auctioneers, 81 South Mall, Cork Tel: 021 4278455 Web: www.@denisbarrett.com Email: info@denisbarrett.com

VERDICT: An international one-off.

MOST starter homes don’t offer buyers five bedrooms, three levels and 2,000 sq ft of space, but that’s what’s on offer at Lisadell, a period-era, terraced city home on Cork’s Gardiner’s Hill.

It is only weighing in at this sort of price level, though, because it needs work, and a fair deal of it, but the essentials are all there.

It has been re-roofed, for example, in recent decades and that’s about it, with a couple of Veluxes up front for the top two, interlinked, attic rooms.

From that ‘new’ roof down, Lisadell needs central heating, improved bathrooms (there are two right now), dry-lining, re-wiring, flooring and decoration — you name it.

But, on the upside, the address is good and

convenient, an easy downhill walk to the city centre via St Luke’s Cross, and there’s a front garden, rear yard with pedestrian access (an old lane runs behind the staggered houses here on Alpine Terrace) and onstreet residents’ parking via permit.

Inside, it is all dated, but there’s a bit of auld decency to the ornamentation, such as corniced ceilings, and an attractive fireplace with bowed brass canopy, and sliding double doors connecting/dividing the two main ground-level reception rooms.

There’s a rear two-storey annex, with basic kitchen, and guest WC, with access to a secure, walled rear yard with outside store.

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VERDICT: a manageable clean sheet to get stuck into.

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COVER STORY

Stylish extension adds to appeal of pristine home

COVER STORY Location: Price: Size: Bedrooms: BER rating: Best feature: Broadband:

Moneygourney, Co Cork €480,000 223 sq m (2,400 sq ft) 4 Pending Sun room extension Yes

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The new extension also allows a modern flow of rooms at the back — kitchen, dining, living, while at the same time, there’s a formal living room and separate study/playroom to the front.

Good impressions start at the gate and here, that’s sorted with a graveled courtyard, inset concrete sleepers and a sensible entrance portico —

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perfect for Irish weather.

The hallway is finished with white painted panelling which runs up the stairs and contrasts nicely with the warm wood of the traditional staircase.

Off to the left is the formal living room — a good rectangular space with a classic look. The main fireplace is cast iron, with tractional dark

furniture, wooden flooring and cream sofas and this room also has a bay window which adds space.

At the end of the hallway there’s a door through to the kitchen while on the right, a corridor leads through to a range of rooms, including a proper, fitted study and a fine playroom with access to an adjoining, full bathroom.

This is also the house’s fourth bedroom — three are on the upper floor — and this room could function as a good double with a private location at the western end of the house.

The utility also has access from this corridor directly outside and then through to the kitchen.

Originally fitted with oak units, the kitchen area has been refinished in soft white paint and units have a solid oak worktop with hob and oven in a corner position. This is probably the area where new owners will change the layout, but the kitchen works well as it stands.

Originally fitted with double doors, the opening through to the living room has been widened to an arch and flooring changed so that there’s a continuous run through both rooms all the way to the house’s south-eastern side.

Fitted with a pretty fireplace and with a bay window onto the leafy boundary, this is a comfortable, family-sized space and big enough for Christmas dinners. The piece de resistance, however, is the new addition, which projects into the garden and connects on the perpendicular to the kitchen/ diner.

A vaulted, multi-windowed space, it has generous dimensions — enough to fit a large sofa and accessories and it opens directly onto a southwest patio.

Because it’s been here a while, No 5 has good screening boundaries whose wind shelter

Some great ideas for you to use in your home and where to get them 1 Statuary: This stone couple is a favourite of the owners. From Bramley, Abbeyleix http://www.bramleys.ie/

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2 Antique Brass Bed: Pick up brass beds at auction or from specialist shops such as Murphy and Quinlan at Douglas St, Cork. www.mqmetal.com/bed

This detached four-bed offering near Douglas will tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people, says an impressed Rose Martin ARD-EDGED minimalism doesn’t really cut it in the real world — truth be told, Séan and Síle Citizen lean towards the traditional in their choice of home style, more bright, clean and cosy than bright, clean and brittle.

And, there’s no better example of the former than this week’s property market offering on the south side of Cork city which should perk up some jaded viewers. No 5, The Lawn, Moneygourney is that elusive thing, a quality detached house in the Moneygourney/greater Douglas area which is offered in pristine condition.

This home is the house of a woman who doesn’t sit still, and a man whose business is engineering — so the result is a well-built, well-finished house with a layer of interior design and housekeeping that’s second to none.

The property has just been listed through Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald who’s seeking offers in the region of €480,000 for the substantial dormer, which also comes with a fine sun room/living room extension.

Built by the couple some 16 years ago, they have continually upgraded and improved the house.

Set off Maryborough Hill, and tucked in a little enclave off Fort Hill (called after the ring fort that’s still in existence at the rear) this crescent of self-builds predates all the other developments that shot up in the boom and is now, conveniently, just a couple of minutes from the South Ring Road.

Set on a good, but not very large site, the property has one important element — its south, south/west facing sunroom addition which makes the most of the aspect, getting day-long sun.

GETTHELOOK

3 A hideaway bower: Pick up a cheap DIY version or go the whole hog and create a little garden room in a corner.

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4 Wall panelling: Adds a touch of country house grandeur to a hallway and also, very practical.

John Noonan, who created these panels also worked on Fota House and Bantry House. John Noonan Riverside Carrigrohane Cork.

(021) 4872932 5 Soft Furnishings: Cushions and covers are a mix of Linum, Natuzzi and John Rocha from www.bramleys.ie/ Debenhams, Cork, Square Deal, Cork.

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6 The big, big, sofa: Building a sun room large allows for generously proportioned furniture.

Here, it’s a classic, Natuzzi piece from Square Deal, Cork from www. squaredealinteriors.com

SOURCEBOOK creates a cosy micro climate. The garden is well tended and planted and while it’s attractive and above average, taking care of it shouldn’t be too arduous. It also comes with a pretty bower and includes a garden shed.

Back inside and upstairs there are two perfectly cute bedrooms, decked in pink and blue and with high quality built-ins. Again, the level of finish can’t be overstated and that includes the main bathroom, which includes the airing cupboard.

The master bedroom has a lot of space, with more than enough room on either side of a six foot bed and it’s also very bright, courtesy of windows on two sides, and that excludes the en suite bathroom.

Set in a quiet enclave with safe green space for children and so close to Douglas, this house ticks a long list of boxes. Go see.

The result is a well-built, well-finished house with a layer of interior design and housekeeping that’s second to none

Contractors: Joe Hallissey Developments Limited Cork Telephone 021-496 2655 ..................................................................................................

Consulting engineers: John McCarthy BE & Partners 16 Mary Street, Cork 021-4317576 ..................................................................................................

Joinery/ windows: Munster Joinery www.munsterjoinery.ie ..................................................................................................

Electrical/ plumbing: main contractor ..................................................................................................

Kitchen/ Fitted units: Woodlands Kitchens John Noonan ..................................................................................................

Bathroom fixtures and fittings: 023 Tiles and Tubs and Tile Deco Tiles: Beck ARts ..................................................................................................

Fireplaces: Tinteain, Ballyvourney, Cork www.tinteainmhuscrai.com ..................................................................................................

Landscaping: Vendors’ own work.

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INTERIORS

INTERIORS

We take a detailed look at one aspect of the home every week ...

Cosy hues

Autumn is the time to warm up our interiors by embracing fading greens and blazing oranges, writes Carol O’Callaghan

COSY STYLE

Get the look without breaking the bank ■ Function and beauty define good design, but when there’s an injection of wit it can elevate an accessory to conversation-piece status.

Check out the selection of lampshades made by Amity in Cork, as an example, with their retro Pop Art vibe (from €55€85).

Left: A new chaise longue design extends the cosy armchair for lounging around on autumn evenings, and can even double up as a bed for a visiting child (€299 from Ikea). Right: Orange accessories bring a touch of intense warmth to a room without overwhelming it (Seville herringbone throw from www.atlanticblankets.com €64).

HOT IDEAS FOR HOME A few well-chosen accessories can warm up the home environment as days get a little chilly.

Choose a lamp with warm tones in the shade and base to reflect soft light after dark (Divo lamp from Woodies €49.99).

Nervous of a naked flame? Try a diffuser to emit a beautiful room scent like Max Benjamin’s Mimosa and Sweet Amber (€25 from Brown Thomas, Avoca and Meadows & Byrne).

See how many vegetables you recognise printed on the witty Harvest tea-towel from www.nofixedabode.ie (€14).

CUSHY LOOK Cushions mean snugly warmth and comfort, and are an easy way of updating an interiors look

Lovers of monochrome may shy away from traditional autumnal shades, but a touch of red set against black and white introduces warmth into the home (Weekend Collection fabrics are €25 p/m from The Drapery Shop).

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he season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us, not that we didn’t have our fair share of mists and fog already over the course of the summer.

But this lovely season of autumn has its merits and is far more reliable in its advances than its predecessor with empty promises of balmy nights.

Autumn reliably offers up fading green leaves turning to rust, blazing oranges and more subdued yellows with warm ambers in between. There’s also the happy embrace of reds and vigorous plummy tones for anyone who is now chilled by summer beach house pale blues and the white walls and pastels of spring. It really is that time of year when we’re craving a little warmth in our interior environment in the same

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way we’re starting to long for roasted vegetables after months of refreshing but cold salads.

For a quick injection of some of that warmth to your surroundings, opt, if you are inclined, for the lazy but rather effective solution of scattering a few cushions around your sofas and armchairs, and even on your bed, taking care to choose an autumn tone that complements your existing colour scheme. Cushions and rugs can make quite a change depending on the number you introduce, and if you invest seasonally in these little items, you will have a stock to change your look according to those seasons. In practise it means fresh greens and other pastels for spring — especially pink — and offwhites too. In summer switch to navy

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and rich green tones, and after the lushness of autumn, opt for deep clarets, crimson red and darkest holly-leaf greens detailed with seasonal metallics.

Try revisiting your knick-knack cupboard — the place where you’ve put all those unwanted gifts or ornaments.

For autumn you may find an orange lampshade to cast a gorgeous glow, or a similarly coloured tea tray to sit centre table beneath a vase of autumn greenery.

Anyone presently in the market for new furniture, and craving warm colour, can think beyond fashionable taupe and consider red, orange or yellow. Not only will they be deliciously inviting, they will enliven an otherwise neutral colour palette. Another option is to revamp what you already have.

Cosy tartan-finished cushions liven up a taupe sofa and bring a cosy touch to an otherwise neutral interior look (from €51.95 at www.thestylishdogcompany.com)

Maybe you own a beloved sofa or armchair that is extremely comfortable but a tad on the shabby side. With our throw-away culture happily in decline, it’s time to befriend your local upholsterer. Consider revamping with check and tartan fabrics as they introduce more than one colour. For a single statement piece, consider a repetitive print, or cosy florals of winter roses and camellias have great appeal.

Remember, however, that a piece of furniture swathed in a sophisticated neutral fabric can be transformed into something fabulous, but be careful not to overwhelm your space by covering an entire three-piece suite in something overly dramatic.

Next week we warm up to the idea of installing solid fuel stoves, stylishly.

Aubergine tones create a warm background to a naive-style white pattern on the Ina frill-edge cushion from Garrendenny Lane Interiors (€37.99).

For a lovely tapestry look detailed in subtle muted shades of autumn, try the Iosis cushion from La Maison Chic (€97.50).

Faded green brings a subtle sophistication to the Angie headboard. A soothing mossy green throw completes the look (headboard from €630, throw €445 from Boulevard Interiors).

The handmade Phoebe children’s chair and stool are upholstered in a warm and practical tartan fabric (€507 www.glenhillandco.com).

It’s not too early to inject a little red into your colour scheme. Start gently with something like the red love heart cushion from Meadows & Byrne (€14.50).

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WISH LIST From the comic to the classic, Esther N McCarthy takes a look at what’s in the shops for your interiors

Light up your life with the Tie pendant light by Peter Mac Cann. It’s an award winning steel and aluminium pendant light consisting of four concentric formed panels around a central frosted glass diffuser. €350 available from No Fixed Abode. www.nofixedabode.ie

������ � �������� Casey’s help you get the Eastern look with this Japanese-style bedside chest, on sale for €699.

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Penney’s are pulling out all the stops with this adorable doggie door stop for €6.

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Look into adding the Barnslig mirror to your home, €15.99 from IKEA.

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Turn heads with the eco-friendly Fanfare clock, made of polypropylene, by Klickity. Each of the leaves can be moved to create your own individual design. Available from Garrendenny Lane for €55. www.garrendennylane.com.

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DIY

DIY

HEAT UP YOUR HOUSE, LOWER YOUR COSTS

DIYTIPS

Making a draught excluder

Another project to get those fingers going is an old style draught excluder. It is ideal for exterior doors that just won’t seal tight and can be dumped in position once the family are tucked up inside. Have some fun with a remnant of your favourite accent fabric.

WHAT YOU NEED: ■ A piece of material slightly longer than the door’s width, but able to tuck into the frame and around 40-50cm wide.

■ Needle and thread or a sewing machine. Try fabric glue if you’re allergic to domestic science.

■ Stuffing: Rice, dried split peas, lentils or beanbag beads add some weight.

Maximise efficiency by closing doors, insulating the attic or buying a flue blocker or EcoFan, says Kya deLongchamps

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his winter will see a considerable increase in fuel prices across the board that will hit us all, pushing up fuel poverty across the country (those spending more than 10% of their income on just keeping warm — estimated at as many as 160,000 households). You may not be in a position to shore up the walls with insulation or make other toe-curling investments, but there are plenty of ways to get proactive with smaller spends before that perpetual chill arrives.

Improving comfort levels without dramatically driving up bills has two key elements. It’s a matter of generating heat as economically and consistently throughout the house, and then retaining that heat as effectively as possible. Start with a low-cost DIY odyssey, with immediate benefits, plus a daintier, CO2 footprint as a cosy reward to your conscience as well as your pocket.

€0-€25: Good habits cost nothing. If you have single glazing, curtains are effective insulators when properly used. Check they are flush to the recess around the window, and not draped over your radiators neatly conducting heat to the window space. If there is an interior windowsill, set them on this to form a neat seal. There’s a reason curtains are termed window-dressings. Try swapping them out with heavier, lined curtains to match the season.

Open-plan? Shut any door to cooler areas, including upstairs, which can pull air through the house, creating draughts.

A heavy door curtain across the inside of a terminally-draughty front door is a 19th century solution for sound and heat insulation. Set on a brass pole, you can try anything from an attractive blanket to redundant curtains, or go for a dedicated thermal material.

We’re not suggesting you shiver yourself warm, but there’s something to be said for donning another light cardigan rather than boiling up oil or gas. Turn the thermostat down by one degree Celsius, to 21ºC, and you can reduce your house heating bill by a staggering 10%. The difference to comfort levels will be imperceptible and a cooler house (18-21°C) is intrinsically healthier.

A thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) will deliver some measure of thermal

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■ Decorative touches: For animals, felt trims for scales, feet, tongues etc. Big buttons will do for eyes.

■ The leg of a pair of adult or older child’s nylon tights.

control, especially if you don’t have the luxury of zoned control. €20-€75 depending on detailing (ex-installation), TRVs will ensure a low level of heat to beat condensation and pipe freezes in spare rooms.

18ºC set on your controls, or TRVs, is perfect for bedrooms, with the heating shutting off 30 minutes before lights out.

Set the hot water cylinder to no more (but no less) than 60°. Less than 60°C can invite unhealthy bacteria to breed unchecked in your system.

If it’s not factory-insulated, and has a jacket less than 80mm, your immersion tank is one big jolly kettle. Prices for lagging products start at €15, and standard sizes are 900mm x 450mm and 1050mm x 450mm. Measure the tank around the widest point, and from top to bottom, before purchasing.

For radiators on external walls, use a commercial radiator board covered in reflective foil to bounce heat back into the room, rather than heating the heavy masonry wall. You can buy panels individually from most good DIY stores from €10-15. €50-€100: If you are not using any of your fireplaces, block draughts and heat loss with an ingenious Irish-designed flue blocker, the chimney balloon. Prices range from €25-€39, including an inflation tube and P&P, and nonstandard sizes can be ordered (www.chimneyballoons.ie).

Detailing your heating system with dedicated controls can be done incrementally. Start with two things, the immersion and TVRs. A ‘countdown’ timer (30 minutes, and oneand two-hour periods) for the immersion will set you back around €80, but will pay for itself in months.

Try www.switchcraft.ie.

Going a step further from reflective panels, engineered radiator panels can spin air more effectively up and into the room. Fit them yourself or have the entire house professionally-detailed.

Suppliers include Cork Radiator Covers, www.corkradiatorcovers, who offer the work from €300 for a typical three-bed semi-d. Self-fit Heatkeeper panels start at €30 for a five-pack. You’ll need 2-2.5 per standard radiator (www.esbstore.ie). €50 can buy a lot of self-adhesive weather strips and pipe sleeves. Look for air bleeds around doors, and tighten the seal with your strips on the tops and sides of the door frames. Brushes tacked to the base of a door can help to close up a slightly-draughty threshold. Tube

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

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Stitch or stick the edges together along the long side

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Slip it into the liner and stitch or stick shut at the remaining short end.

Iron the material nicely flat.

Turn the material wrong side down and fold in half with the pattern inside.

Turn right side out and sew one end shut as neatly as possible Use the leg of the tights as a liner. Fill with your chosen stuffing. Tie shut with a good knot.

Q&A

Do you have a DIY question you would like answered?

Send it to interiors@examiner.ie

Q. How do I know what size of stove will match my room? What is KW output?

A. Simply calculate in metres (width x length x height) of the room you wish to heat. This will give you the room volume in cubic metres. 1kilowat of output will approx heat 25 cubic metres of space. (1kw = 1 electric bar).

Q. My joints are stiff and I find opening the door, fuelling and cleaning a stove difficult. Are there designs that are easier to manage in a multi-fuel stove?

Turn the thermostat down to 21ºC and you can reduce your house heating bill by a staggering 10%.

beading for flooring and skirting, finished with a wet finger or sponge, is an hour’s work. Wrap-around sleeves for pipe-work are a cinch to install, and, matched to pipe size, ideal for interior pipes in the attic and around your hot water system. €100 PLUS INVESTMENTS: As you use your boiler, components degrade and soot is deposited on the heat-exchanger surfaces. As a result, the boiler’s efficiency decreases over one season, regardless of any high technical specification. For gas, the savings for

servicing a boiler after three years of neglect could be as high as 3% (SEIA).

Registered gas installers can be found at www.rgii.ie, oil technicians at www.oftec.com, and trade-finding sites including www.onlinetradesmen.ie can also suggest qualified individuals for any systems. Prices start around €100 for a service without parts. Ask your heating engineer for a run-through of his recommended use of a zoned system, which can be beset by what are termed ‘zone-wars’ if not set correctly.

Think outside the box. Clever, new products with real merit are all around

us. The EcoFan, from Caframo, sits on top of your stove to stir the flow of heat to the centre of the room, rather than having it linger on the ceiling. This clever Canadian newcomer works with even the cooler temperature of wood pellet and gas stoves, and generates its own operating power with an ingenious thermo-electric module. From €109, Expert Hardware outlets.

Extra batts of insulation can be laid over existing measures in the attic. Try placing them in the opposite direction to what’s already there. 250mm is a bare minimum depth for any material, with

300mm a better figure to aim for. Ensure you fluff the product up if using fibreglass, and wear full protective clothing where required. A DIY job can be worked out by the metre of materials before you start.

If you are experiencing even intermittent hardship in keeping your house warm this winter, contact your local authority, social welfare office or log onto www.seai.ie to see details of the Warmer Homes Scheme intended to help those in receipt of welfare payments or in financial difficulty.

Email: warmerhomes@seai.ie.

A. There are a variety of contemporary stoves available that have a firebox at waist level so no bending is required; the alternative is to place your stove on a plinth to a height that suits.

Q. Is it always worth considering a back-boiler for a stove? Will my wood burner produce enough heat to make it a good investment?

A. Running a stove with a back boiler can be expensive although anyone with a ready supply of wood should make it a priority.

A. In a lot of cases where there is no chimney-ready made flue, piping can be installed. It is advisable to price such pipe work before purchasing a stove as it often costs more than the stove!

Q. Can I run my stove with the doors open?

A. All stoves burn at optimum efficiency with closed doors. Opening the doors allows excess air to enter the stove hence accelerating the burn rate of the fuel.

■ Answers provided by Tom Keane of Ovne Stoves, Gortroe, Leap, Co Cork. www.ovnestoves.com. Tel: 028 34917

1920s enamelled Nyborg stove with nickelled parts.

Price on application from Ovne Stoves.

Q. I don’t have a chimney. Can I still have a stove in my house?

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INTERIORS

HOME ECONOMICS

ASK THE

DESIGNER

Q

We’re building a new home and considering installing underfloor heating – what do you think?

A. Underfloor heating uses an electrical (electric heating cable) or hydronic (heated water circulated through a pipe) system to warm your home. As you’re building a new house, underfloor heating is a good choice – it’s out of sight, works with most types of floors and gives an even spread of heat.

Although it’s ideal for colder surfaces such as tiles and stone, it can also be used with certain types of timber, vinyl and laminates. It also has health benefits for people with allergies or asthma as it reduces the level of dust particles in the air. One drawback is its slow response time – a wooden floor can take up to an hour to warm up, while concrete can take even longer. Suss out your options at www.underfloorheating.ie.

Q. After adding a bathroom and kitchen to the back of our house, our front living room is so dark that we have to leave the lights on during the day — any suggestions?

A. Open up the rear wall between the kitchen and living room and make it open-plan — introducing patio doors to allow sunlight pour into the living area.

The new layout would be: front living room, open-plan kitchen and dining area and patio doors to the garden.

Consider relocating the bathroom to one of the bedrooms and turn the existing bathroom into a small study/guest room. Sounds like a lot of work — but you might be surprised to find out how

Interior architect Gerry Condon of Gerry Condon Design, a lecturer at Griffith College Dublin and Home Makeover Design Course in Fermoy, Co Cork answers your questions Email: interiors@examiner.ie

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Not On The High Street

G

utted. The trouble with gutters is that they are out of reach and served by enclosed downpipes. How many of us could judge the flow rate from the ground?

Inaccessible, with their working face invisible, it’s out of sight and out of mind. Guttering and downpipes, as part of a rainwater system are a vital sluice to spirit water not just off the roof, but away from the fabric of the house, and down to the ground as efficiently as possible.

Left unchecked even a small amount of pooling or dripping water is a discreetly destructive element.

“Seamless” gutters are notoriously leaky. If the gutters start failing or backing up with wind-born debris, undetected dams and drips can fuel expensive repairs. If you make an insurance claim related to guttering and they are discovered to be already neglected, your policy may prove a wash out.

Q. I spotted this door in an interiors magazine (near right) and absolutely love it — do you know where I can get something similar in Ireland for my apartment kitchen?

A. It is a fabulous door — and some of my favourite design projects include searching for old doors, windows and memorabilia for bars and cafés. There are lots of architectural salvage yards throughout Ireland where you find hidden gems like this — see www.goldenpages.ie/salvage-yards for your nearest. I like Kilkenny Architectural Salvage and Antiques (www.eurosalve.com) or www.jumbletown.ie. Don’t settle for the asking price — the only value on an old door is the fact that you want it. And remember to check for wood worm and always have old wood treated before bringing it into your home.

Q. My daughter has just gone into Leaving Certificate and has her heart set on a career in interior design. In the current climate though, I’m worried about her choice – should I discourage her?

A. As a lecturer in Interior Architecture, I’m often asked why anyone would want to go into this profession at the moment. The building industry is one of the hardest hit by the recession and it could be some time before we see any new projects getting

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Left: The door featured in question three. Right: An option for a contemporary door from Sensunels by Karim Rashid for DIBI group (door collection), see www.aguard.ie or contact (01) 2812132.

off the ground. However, with money scarce, professional advice on how to refurbish or redecorate homes and businesses has never been more important. Achieving a BA in Interior Architecture takes four years — but at the end of it, you can work anywhere in the world.

Call me biased, but if your daughter loves design, you should encourage her to follow her dream.

Right: Underfloor heating. For more information, see www.underfloorheating.ie

Every week Sue O’Connor picks her top three interiors sites. If you have a favourite you’d like to see featured, email: interiors@examiner.ie

Carraig Donn

Plunder this luscious site when you have lots of time. It has enough categories to deliver on any request for home, garden and lots more. Neat little categories pack away everything from night lanterns to Mr and Mrs coat hooks. It is a great source for gifts for newlyweds, housewarmings or a treat for yourself.

Founders Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish wanted to create a place where you could source unique things you find in markets. Sit back and allow this site to answer your every whim.

ONE of my favourite stores for home, gifts and clothing and it’s great to see that their website translates well for the online shopper. From vintage dollies, to retro spotted cake stands this has an array of quirky gifts, or conversation point pieces for your home. Prices are reasonable with free Irish delivery for spends of over €50.

Brands such as Waterford Crystal, Vera Wang, Tipperary Crystal and Delphi line their shelves. Carraig Donn is 100% Irish owned and its online store is operated from Westport, Co Mayo.

■ www.notonthehighstreet.com

■ www.carraigdonn.com

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

Drains and gutters 101 Cleaning gutters isn’t high on anyone’s list, but the nightmare begins when the system lets go, writes Kya deLongchamps.

cheap and easy this solution could be.

Your interiors architect will be able to tell you exactly what is involved and what to expect from the end result before you decide.

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Rugart

Battening down the hatches for the change in season brings me to stumble on rugart.ie. The company gives the customer. You can choose from 1,200 shades, or unique styles can be produced. For those overwhelmed by choice there are delicious coloured rugs from readymade collections. The site says that a hand tufted rug can be delivered within 8 to 10 weeks, but a hand knotted rug will take 3 to 4 months, so take note if you want it in time for winter.

■ www.rugart.ie

Personalised Secret Message Lampshade by the Old Lamp Shed from www. notonthehighstreet.com for £28 (€35).

10 tips to safely ascend a ladder outdoors Ascending a ladder, you should be fresh, lithe and capable of concentrating on the job. These 10 points form just the essential behaviour for going aloft.

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SIGNS OF TROUBLE The first time you may realise something is wrong, is when a completely overwhelmed gutter overflows at its edge or pulls loose from its mounting, when joints fail or when iron rusts out. There may be warnings, with grass waving to you from a minute bog collecting in the gutter or the vertical staining of dirty water streaking down exterior walls. Chances are in its quieter moments, small rivulets of water have been softly lapping onto the woodwork of fascias, seeping into timbers and cracks in the masonry or brickwork as it finds absorbent materials and its own level.

MAINTENANCE Twice yearly checks are ideal, and a thorough clean is needed annually.

Only some of us have the experience and fitness to deal with roof checks. If the roof is high and your ladder skills untried, don’t even think about going up there. It’s simply not worth the risk.

Foot the ladder safely and preferably work with someone else to hold the ladder and get help in the event of a fall. Try not to lean the ladder on guttering (not always possible) and never against downpipes. They are not generally strong or stable enough to support this extra weight. Take a light bucket or bag with you and hook this to the ladder or place on a firm edge of roof when you reach the working height you need.

Using a suitable trowel or garden hand spade scoop out the debris. Wet it down if it’s stuck rather than gouging at it and damaging the gutter surface.

Check the stability of joints and mounts for the gutter as you work. Once you’ve finished one run of gutter, flush out the downpipes with water from a garden hose. Work carefully here as taming a hose and clinging to a ladder is not for the faint hearted. Bumping the power hose up a ladder might seem like a good

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Wear stout-soled shoes rather than boots. You can feel the rungs better.

Check your shoelaces are tied and your trouser ends not catching Take any sharp tools out of your pockets and put them in a bag to hang off an ‘S’ hook Look for overhead cabling before siting the ladder.

Check the ladder has its rubber feet, and all rungs are secure. Step ladders should be fully unlocked.

Place the ladder on a firm, non-slip surface and if possible held by a helper. Never use anything to ‘level’ the feet.

Set the ladder out in a ratio of 1:4 – that’s two feet away from the bottom of the wall if the top of the ladder is eight feet above the ground.

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When climbing the ladder look at the wall ahead of you.

Use the three-point contact rule when climbing. Two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand etc.

It may not be the ‘sexiest’ of subjects, but your rainwater drainage system prevents damage to your home from a seemingly benign source.

idea, but (1) its enormously heavy in most cases and (2) you may actually blow yourself off the ladder or take the rainwater system apart with the force of the water.

If your home is surrounded by trees and you find the system is clogging up regularly, the investment in leaf-traps to hold off the worst of the falling leaves, is well worth consideration. There are dozens of specialist companies available to clean and repair gutters, but be warned this is a fertile area for cowboys to fish around on your roof and declare all sort of nebulous but expensive problems that need seeing to- cash up front.

Employ a firm with full liability insurance and a reputation you’ve looked into. Some companies work with a telescopic vacuum pressure system and follow up with inspection cameras to around 15m from the ground. Cherry

Never stand on the top rung of a ladder or lean out from one.

Leave the top three rungs free.

pickers can reach even further — they’re not exactly cheap but thorough for a high roof. Some firms offer gutters as part of a total wash down package including windows and fascias. Windowize quote €100 for a four bed semi-detached fully washed down. www.windowize.ie.

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IN THE GARDEN

IN THE GARDEN

GARDENNOTES ■ Cobh Community Hospital, will hold their annual garden fete, tomorrow, 2.30pm in a new sensory garden.

■ Mallow Mayor Dan Joe Fitzgerald announces the winners of the Garden Competition for 2011 on Monday, October 10 in the Hibernian Hotel. All welcome.

■ Douglas Union of Parishes, in conjunction with Cork Flower Club and Friends, hold a Harvest Flower Festival in St Luke’s Church Douglas next weekend (September 23 to 25). The opening will be by guest of honour Helen Dillon (author and broadcaster) at a wine reception on Friday at 7.30pm. Admission is €10 by ticket or invitation only. Viewing and refreshments on Saturday, 10am to 6pm (admission €10), after which a concert “Music amongst the Flowers” takes place (admission €15 by ticket only). Sunday viewing and refreshments is from 10am to 2pm (admission €10). Additional attractions in Canon Packham Hall include; cakes and jams, plants and country produce, crafts, books, toys.

■ An ‘Autumn Gardening Seminar’ with Dermot O’Neill and Brian Cross, takes place at Fota Arboretum and Gardens, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork on Saturday, September 24 from 9am. Rare plant specialists will attend. Booking: 0214815543

The flowers of Miscanthus sinensis, Ferner Osten, are incandescent when back-lit by late autumn sun.

A good time for ornamental grass

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RELAND’S high latitude works a special brand of magic due to the seasonal changes in light. And the further west you go, the better and more distinctly beautiful this light becomes. So, as the days shorten and the sun sinks lower in the sky, it emphasises colour as it backlights the intricate tracery of many autumnal flowers.

This effect can be seen to best effect in September and October when the low light coincides with the peak of their flowering, but I feel they need something bold and arching to set them off.

It ought to have a good leaf and look tidy throughout the summer. It must look trim and proper at all times but especially during autumn and into winter. So among the long list of excellent late perennials I would consider the newer (and better) forms

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by Charlie Wilkins of ornamental grass, varieties with modest foliage and richly coloured awns (flowering seed-heads) which last well into winter.

Grass, you may well argue, grows all summer and exhausts us where we least want it. It comes in all manner of varieties, many of which behave themselves and look handsome throughout the year but the ornamental forms have now ceased to be a novelty item and are taking root in the imagination of keen gardeners who, up to recent years, may have been unsure of how to use them effectively.

Piet Oudolf, the Dutch designer and a pioneer of ‘prairie planting’ changed our outlook by demonstrating that the planting of ornamental grasses wasn’t just about flowing movement and silhouette, but also by extending the gardening season better than other late

IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

season plants. Many of the best forms don’t start performing until midsummer, so they do add late-season excitement and often carry on throughout the winter.

The queen of the ornamental grasses, forms of Miscanthus sinensis, also known as Japanese silver grass, can be used in any position where a moundforming grass is needed.

Depending on variety these produce masses of flowers and the fresh, silky awns come in a variety of colours from plum-purple through to pink, and from mink-brown to silver. But they all fade to beige-silver and as they disintegrate over the winter, the heads provide a gossamer silhouettes varying in height from 4 feet to 8 feet or more.

Yakushima Dwarf is probably one of the most distinctive but it is only one in a crowd. Its foliage is rounded (like a table top) and

sends out more shoots that others due to its dwarf habit.

The many golden-brown cockades are held just above the foliage. Ferner Osten (illustrated) is another compact form with vibrant, wine-red awns and I like to grow this among the striking dark-eyed deep yellow Rudbeckia fulgida commonly known as Black-eyed Susan.

Morning Light, on the other hand, is an upright sheath of slender, variegated cream and green foliage that is useful for brightening up and refining the late border. Experience with many of these grasses suggests that they by no means need hot, dry positions, but good drainage is certainly very important. During the first year or so in the garden, take care that plants are not swamped by more rambunctious neighbours.

After that, they’re more than capable of looking after themselves.

■ Dungarvan Flower and Garden Club host Dermot O’Neill at The Park Hotel Dungarvan, Wednesday, September 21 at 8pm. Tickets from Jane Casey Florist, Main Street Dungarvan or contact 024 96011.

All the proceeds will go to the Haematology Department, Waterford Regional Hospital.

■ Blarney and District Flower and Garden Club will have a garden walk at Liam and Ann Griffin’s garden, Watergrasshill, on Thursday next. Members to meet at 6.30pm.

■ Mallow Flower and Garden Club host a floral demonstration with Mary Teresa Linehan in the Mercy Centre on Tuesday next at 8pm.

■ Hosfords Enniskeane is to have bulb planting demonstrations today at 11am and 3pm with a repeat on Saturday September 24.

■ Marie Ní Chasthasaigh and Chris Newman are in concert at Hosfords on Thursday, October 6. Tickets €25.

■ Conna Flower and garden club, demonstration by Bernadette Scanlon (AOIFA), Sept 21, 8pm.

■ Sunday’s Well Flower and Garden Club, talk on Beekeeping by Noel Power, Wednesday September 21 at 8pm in St Vincent’s Parish Centre.

■ Ladysbridge District Flower and garden club host Octavia Tulloch (Heritage bulbe) on September 19, 8pm, Garryvoe Hotel on best use from bulbs and seeds.

■ Cork Alpine /Hardy Plant Society host Richard Hobbs of Witton Lane Seeds “Small Bulbs For Small Gardens” at the Lavanagh Centre September 29 at 7.45pm.

WORK FOR THE WEEK RAIN: The rains have arrived and the sun continues to rapidly tilt away. The light is hessian-coloured, and the first real tinge of autumn is noticeable in the morning and evening air. For all that, I like the autumn sun, mainly for its luminosity which gives a glitter to everything it touches. Over the years I have learned the angles that it takes during this royal seasons and how it finds its way around the front and back garden. I plant accordingly.

DAISIES: These are a great favourite of mine, especially the Argyranthemum sold as ‘Jamaica Primrose’. I introduced this excellent shrub (old-fashioned name Marguerite) to readers years ago and whilst it fell out of favour with the newer generation of gardeners, the horny-handed hang on to it for its prolific, non-stop blooming from late spring to early winter. Dead-heading and a warm situation seem to be the only requirements it insists upon. Plants put on extra fast growth (and flowers) the later the season becomes and as such are expert at concealing gaps. The yellow blooms match very well the dark foliage of clump-forming dahlias also at accompanying the late blues which appear on two essential families, the Salvias and the lovely Aconitums. The easiest salvia is still uliginosa, which has short spikes of sky-blue flower but it has a habit of disappearing in the kind of winter we experienced last year.

Experts tell me that the culprit is more often a slug than hard frosts, but whichever I do want to hang onto this particular form.

LAWNS: Examine lawns this month for unsightly yellow patches. Recent rains and the moisture it brought eliminates drought as the cause, so the problem could be attack by chafer grubs or leatherjackets. A sure sign that roots are under attack is by the repeated presence

by Charlie Wilkins of birds on the lawn. Natural predators include crows, jackdaws, magpies, and even foxes which dig up the turf in search of the grubs. They do more damage to the lawn than the pests, so firm back loose areas of grass or reseed this autumn. You can also control the grubs to prevent further disturbance. Until recently no chemical control was available to gardeners.

However, Bayer Garden Provado Lawn Grub Killer based on the systemic insecticide imidacloprid, is now approved for use. For the most effective control treat at the egg-laying stage, mid August to September for leatherjackets and late May or June for chafer grubs. Apply an autumn lawn food now that rains have softened most swards.

AUTUMN: Leaves may look lovely scattered under trees and across vistas of grass but put mesh over ponds and pools to prevent leaf build up on the floor of water features. Harmful gases are produced when these begin to rot down and when frosts arrive and freeze the surface any ornamental fish present could be put under severe stress. Already, many trees are beginning to lose their foliage, whereas in the past it was well into autumn.

PROTECTION: If you live in an area where September frosts are not unknown, have some fleece or cloches to hand to protect tender or young plants if the forecasters warn of cold nights. Be prepared also for the planting of spring bulbs (more on these shortly). Early shopping means that you will have the choicest varieties to peruse — even if you don’t intend to plant them for some time.

Tulips in particular should not be planted before mid November at the earliest.

To prevent leaf build-up on water features put mesh over ponds and pools.

Don’t let your harvest go to waste If you have a glut of fruit and veg from this year’s harvest, don’t end up chucking it out — freeze it, preserve it or find some enthusiastic veg swappers, Hannah Stephenson advises

S

O YOUR basket is now buckling under the weight of your vegetable crop — and the chances are some of it will end up in the bin unless you’re feeding a bunch of hungry vegetarians.

However, don’t despair. A few recipe books may give you inspiration to make a job lot of ratatouille or other veggie delights which you can freeze and enjoy at a later date.

If you have an allotment, organise a swap shop where allotment holders can bring their excess produce to swap for some of your harvest.

However, if you are reluctant to part with the home-grown fruits of your labour, there are many ways to preserve it. Tomatoes can be frozen to use in sauces, casseroles and other cooked dishes. Immerse them in boiling water, peel off the skins, let them cool and then

Many vegetables can easily be frozen by preparing and blanching them first, then transferring to freezer bags.

store them in batches in freezer bags.

They will be soft when they are

defrosted, so won’t do for salads.

Alternatively, make tomato chutneys using a mixture of vinegar, salt and sugar, with added spices. Apples, garlic and onions can also be used to add flavour to chutneys.

Many vegetables can easily be frozen, by preparing and blanching them first (plunging in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then cooling them in iced water for a few minutes so they don’t continue cooking), then transferring to freezer bags. Green beans, asparagus, sweetcorn, carrots, brussels sprouts and courgettes can all be frozen in this way.

Virtually every fruit can be frozen, but when defrosted they are likely to be soggy and sitting in juice. However, its flavour will not be impaired and such fruits are ideally used in sauces, compotes, pies and tarts.

You need to de-stone stone fruits before freezing, as the stone will give off an almond taint. Apples and plums can be sliced, tossed with lemon and sugar, then frozen. Don’t store any apples ripening before the end of September, as few of these will keep. You’re better off turning them into puree, juice or dried apple rings. The best keeping varieties hang on the trees through October.

Prepare them for storage by placing in a cool, airy place for a few days to sweat out any excess moisture. Put them out on a chilly evening without frost and then put them in storage first thing in the morning before they have warmed. Lay the apples in trays on a bed of crumpled or shredded newspaper in a frost-free, cool, dark place, such as a garage or shed. Pears can be stored in a similar environment but should not be wrapped.

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ANTIQUES & FINE ART

An extremely rare old IRA C96 Mauser handgun known as “Peter the Painter”, complete with wooden stock or holding case estimated at €800- €1,000 at Whyte’s in Dublin next Saturday.

Markievicz handgun features in sale collection

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mong the more unusual lots at the Whyte’s sale of History, Literature and Collectibles in Dublin at noon next Saturday is a Men of the South Firearms Collection. Sean Keating’s Men of the South, which is in the collection of the Crawford Gallery, depicts members of No 2 Cork Brigade IRA. One of those members was Dennis Mullane. His collection of historically important weapons features in this sale. It includes a Broomhandle Mauser or Peter the Painter handgun made famous

by Countess

Markievicz, and a Thompson submachine gun (€2,000-€3,000) used in the War of Independence. The 700 lots on offer range from Viking Dublin silver coins to a matchstick round tower made by Martin McGuinness when he was in Portlaoise prison in 1975.

Also in Dublin de Veres will conduct a house contents auction at Westbury, Willowbank, Monkstown, Co Dublin at 2pm next Monday. Viewing is at the house, the auction will be held at the Presbyterian Hall at York Road, Dun Laoghaire.

ADVERTISING

Much choice for collectors A table is estimated between €8,000 to €12,000. Des O’Sullivan reports

A

Killarney centre table at Woodwards and a John Kingerlee studio sale at the CIT Wandesford Quay Gallery offers Cork collectors much to choose from in the coming week. The top antique furniture lot at Woodwards on Wednesday at 6pm is a Killarney table inlaid with arbutus and other woods. It is estimated at €8,000-€12,000.

Other furniture of interest includes a set of 10 balloon back dining chairs (€2,000-€3,000), a Georgian bookcase (€2,500-€3,000), a set of ten Queen Anne heavy mahogany dining chairs (€2,000-€3,000), a Georgian sofa table

A Fair Day, Mayo, a 1925 oil on canvas by Jack B Yeats, is a major lot at the James Adam sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin on September 28. It is estimated at €500,000€800,000.

����

AUCTION OF ANTIQUES, FINE ART, ETC

On the instructions of executors of the estate of John Green, late of Alta Tce, Monkstown and from other estates in Doneraile and Rochestown.

WEDNESDAY NEXT, SEPTEMBER 21ST AT 6PM

Superb Killarney inlaid arbutus wood centre table Georgian tallboy chest Set of 6 Queen Anne mahogany dining chairs Georgian rosewood sofa table Regency inlaid mahogany sideboard Edwardian inlaid mahogany sofa table Set of 10 Balloon back dining chairs Georgian mahogany bookcase Leather couch Georgian longcase clock Georgian mahogany breakfast table Georgian bowfront chest of drawers Regency walnut ladies desk Mahogany bureau Regency rosewood card table Edwardian inlaid corner cabinet.

Regency walnut ladies desk Pr Wing-back armchairs Chinese marble topped side table Garden vases and statues

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Lynes and Lynes will conduct an antique auction at Eastlink Business Park, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork at noon today. The sale features and interesting collection of quality antique furniture. ................................................................. .

The 46th annual Irish Antique Dealers Association Fair takes place at the RDS Dublin from next Thursday, September 22 to Sunday week.

Opening times are from 5pm to 10pm on Thursday, 11am to 11pm on Friday, 11am to 7pm on this day week and from 11am to 6pm on Sunday, September 25. ................................................................. .

There are first editions by Irish authors, many signed by writers like Yeats, John B Keane and Christy Brown to be featured at a book and coin sale at the Kerry Auction Rooms in Tralee on Saturday, September 24. It will also include the collection of the late Eleanor Scanlan, Listowel, who was closely associated with Writers’ Week. ................................................................. .

O’Donovan and Associates, Newcastlewest, will hold a house clearance auction at

Reidy’s, Main St, Shanagolden, Co Limerick on Saturday, September 24 at 11am. It features antique furniture, Waterford glass and porcelain. It will be followed by a clearance auction which features radios, gramophones, old signs, kettle pots, farmyard pumps and a mowing machine. ................................................................. .

Culture Night in Ireland takes place next Friday.

This night of free entertainment takes place in a record 30 towns, cities, counties and islands in Ireland. Museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, artists’ studios and cultural centres will open their doors late into the evening. There will, for example, be live performances at the National Sculpture Factory in Cork from 5pm to 8.30pm. ................................................................. .

There will be a sale at Matthews Auction Rooms, The Square, Oldcastle, Co Meath on September 20 at 6.30pm.

SHEPPARD’S Irish Auction House The Legacy of the Big House

27 – 29 September 2011 at 10:30 each day

RARE BOOK & COLLECTORS’ SALE Wednesday, 28th September at 10.30am

Important three-day Sale (1854 lots)

three centuries of period furniture, decorative art, fine art, and Asian art from private collections and Irish country houses including Emo Court, Russborough House, Knocklofty House, Castlecomer House, and Dunkettle House

Killarney Table Regency style D-end 3-pillar dining table Georgian library armchair Georgian mahogany sideboard.

Mantle and occasional clocks Selection of Waterford and other crystal, Meissen Masons, Worcester, Doulton, etc Silver & plated items An Phoblact and other Irish papers Many more - details at www.woodward.ie

On view: Saturday & Sunday 2pm - 5pm, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 10am - 5pm

WOODWARD & SONS LTD “Successful service since 1883”

26 COOK STREET, CORK.tel 021-4273327 fax 021-4272891 email antiques@woodward.ie . web www.woodward.ie IRISH EXAMINER Property&Interiors | 17.09.2011

2:00–6:00pm Sat: 24 September Sun: 25 September Mon: 26 September

The Sale will include the Library of the late Mr. Bernard Colclough, Historian, Waterford, The Library of the late Mr. Joe MacMahon (Part II), Limerick and items from other important clients.

SALE-DAYS Tues: 27 Sept Weds: 28 Sept Thurs: 29 Sept

Rare books, Irish Historical, Typographical Works and Literary Items, First Editions, Signed Copies, Periodicals, Maps and Manuscripts, Old & Rare Newspapers and boxed lots.

Enquiries: Michelle Brophy 057 874 0000

Sporting memorabilia, Medals, Coins and Bank Notes.

Cinema Posters, Postcards, Vinyl Records, Music Memorabilia, Photographs and other Collectibles.

Viewing: Monday & Tuesday previous Approx. 1,000 lots.

Illustrated Catalogue Available €20 (Incl. P & P).

MEALY’S RARE BOOKS LTD. Chatsworth Street, Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.

Tel 056-4441229 Fax 056-4441627 e-mail: info@mealysrarebooks.com website: www.mealys.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL Ger Duggan Tel: 021-4802192 email: interiorads@examiner.ie ��� ������� ���������

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(located 90 minutes NE of Cork City: M8 (N), at J3 take R433 (R434) to Durrow)

VIEWING

Artists include: Kenneth Webb RHA, Elizabeth Brophy, Arthur Armstrong, Francis Danby, Robert Taylor Carson, Maurice Desmond, Somhairle MacCana, Tom Walsh, John Power, John Morris, Terence Attridge Williams, Marshall C Hutson, Vicky Wilson, David Roy Morgan, Michael O’Nuallain, H Antone, J Jackson Curnock, etc

22

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At our Auction Rooms, ‘Old Cinema’, Castlecomer

FREE BIDDING SERVICE IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND AUCTION

JOSEPH

(€1,000-€1,500) a Regency sideboard (€700-€1,000) and a Georgian longcase clock Viewing for this sale is from 2pm to 5pm today and tomorrow, and from 10am to 5pm next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The John Kingerlee retrospective studio sale by Morgan O’Driscoll at the CIT Wandesford Quay Gallery at 4pm tomorrow will be preceded at 3pm with the book launch of The Whole Planet Is A Garden: The Genius Of John Kingerlee

by Edmund P Pillsbury PhD. There is viewing from 11am to 6pm today and from 11am to the start of the no reserve sale of 136 lots tomorrow.

DIARY

Lot 1393: Important Irish Regency period gilt console table

Illustrated colour catalogues: vols. I & II: 057 874 0000 Fully searchable e-catalogues: www.sheppards.ie

Bid Live via: www.sheppards.ie

D u r r o w • L a o i s Te l : 0 5 7 8 7 4 0 0 0 0

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23

TERAPROOF:User:noelcampionDate:15/09/2011Time:13:14:59Edition:17/09/2011PropertyXP1709Page:24

Zone:XP1

XP1 - V1

11 Dunville Cresent, Bishopstown

Magnificent 4 Bedroom • 4 Rec. Rooms Master En-suite • Corner Site • c.2250 sq ft

D SOL

July

Rochestown

6 Endsleigh, Douglas Road

5 Bedrooms • 3 Rec. • Large South Facing Rear Garden. • c.2200 sq ft.

4 Bedrooms • 2 Rec. Rooms • c.1400 sq ft, Large Site • East West Aspect • GFCH

Willow Lawn, Ballinlough Road

2 Hillview Cross, Douglas Road

3 Bedrooms • 2 Rec. Rooms c.1050 sq ft • G.F.C.H. • Quarter Acre Site

Superb 2 Bedroom • 3 Rec. Rooms c.1270 sq. ft. • Large Rear Garden

Guide € 585,000

Guide €325,000

29 Firgrove Drive, Bishopstown

4 Bedroom • 4 Rec. Rooms • c.1760 sq ft Gas C.H • Large Gardens

For Quick Sale €290,000 g.

D Au Red Abbey Court

SOL

3 Bedrooms • 2 Reception Rooms c. 900 sq. ft. • GFCH • Off Street Parking

Guide €190,000

Guide €345,000

SOL

Guide €495,000 g.

D Au Menloe, Blackrock

rO

Knockrea Lawn

4 Bedrooms (master en-suite) • 3 Rec. Rooms c.1800 sq ft / East West Aspect / G.F.C.H.

Guide €465,000

Caragh, Well Rd., Douglas

4 Bedrooms • 2 Rec Rooms • Elevated c.25 acre • Southerly Aspect • c.1400 sq ft

5 Bedrooms • c.Half Acre Site 2 Rec. Rooms / Cul de Sac / c.1750 sq ft.

SOL

e Und

ffer

Guide € 495,000

Guide €750,000 pt.

D SeWoolhara Park, Douglas

7 Orchard Close, Douglas Road

For Quick Sale €225,000 g.

D Au Model Farm Road

4 bedrooms • 3 Rec. Rooms • G.F.C.H. Large private site • 1560 sq ft.

2 Bedrooms • 1 Reception c.1020 sq ft • G.F.C.H.

4 Hartlands Avenue (off Glasheen Road)

17 Sunset Court, Carrigaline

3 Bedrooms • 3 Rec. Rooms Large Private Garden • c.1,300 sq ft.

Refurbished 3 Bedroom • 2 Receptions c.1200 sq ft • Large Rear Garden

SOL

Guide €365,000

1 St. Anthony’s Villas, Douglas

Residential / Business / Medical Unit needs refurbishment • site area c. 2,200 sq. ft.

For Quick Sale €90,000

Guide €625,000

Guide €190,000

Detached • 3 Bedrooms • 2 Rec. Rooms Recently Refurbished • G.F.C.H.

For Quick Sale €159,000

Guide €245,000

Joint Agent: Dennehy Auctioneer’s P: 4371249

Property Wanted

Property For Sale

Detached Homes in Douglas and Blackrock

Ballincollig: Excellent 3 Bed Semi

Cash Client

Paddock’s, Maryborough Hill: 3 Bed Semi €245k

for 2/3 Bedroom Townhouse in Blackrock Contact Dennis on 087 2561903

Douglas Road: Mature recently refurbished 4 Bed / Semi Detached

www.frankvmurphy.ie

Call us today on 021 4274204 or 087 2561903 Dennis Guerin FSCSI

Cearbhall Behan Assoc SCSI

Robert Jeffery FRIC FSCS