Dublin City Council approve Lisbon-style food hall in vacant St Andrew's Church
Dublin City Council (DCC) has approved Fáilte Ireland plans for a Lisbon-style food hall and cultural space in St Andrew's Church on Suffolk St in ...
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Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘We used a saw to cut a hole into the wall and realised it was an old back stairs area' – hidden tunnels and secret rooms in Co Cork
Asking price: €1.6m Agent: Hegarty Properties (021) 4639411 A hidden tunnel, a secret room and links to the Knights Templar lend plenty of intriguing lore to historic Carewswood House, a five-bedroom, 4,823 sq ft pocket mansion which was originally constructed as a dower house to Castlemartyr House, now a resort hotel. Sitting on three acres, Carewswood still has the boarded up tunnel running from its basement area which likely served a dual purpose for the dowagers (widowed mothers or unmarried sisters) of the Earls of Shannon, who constructed Castlemartyr in the 18th century. While the dowager could walk back and forth to the 'Big House' along its covered 2km-plus length, without being exposed to the elements, the tunnel also provided for a failsafe escape in either direction back in fraught times when the natives were a good deal more antsy. Castlemartyr House, part of the Castlemartyr Resort, is beside the castle founded by the Knights Templar in 1210 under the leadership of Richard de Clare, better known as Strongbow. Following the seizure of the estate after the Geraldine Wars, these lands were handed over to Sir Walter Raleigh who later sold them on in 1602 to the Earl of Shannon. Earl Richard Boyle constructed an estate home there in the 1700s, and Carewswood followed, likely in 1814, just 2.4km away. 'In those days, the mother of the heir moved out of the house once her husband passed away and the son and heir remarried and took over the main house, and she would have lived here,' says its owner Gill Hornibrook, who comes from the locality. She bought the property in 1996 with her husband, the late Jack Hornibrook who headed up Hornibrook Builders. The couple had been living in nearby Glendonagh House, a 14-bedroom estate house, which they'd transformed into private nursing home. 'Glendonagh was a Victorian-style house and we'd always wanted a Georgian home,' she says. 'We were attracted to the size of Carewswood. It was the perfect place to raise our four daughters.' The previous owners had added a new roof, a maple floor in the kitchen and a mahogany floor in the dining room, both of which came from an old hotel in Midleton. 'It was a very basic Georgian house when we bought it but we did a major amount of work on it.' The reception rooms include a sitting room, a dining room and a TV room, all of which the couple updated and redecorated. 'We removed all of the old wallpaper and re-plastered and painted the walls, and had the plasterwork in the high ceilings repaired.' They added a front porch with French doors to the south-east facing front and insulated the walls throughout, contributing to its C-BER rating, unusual in a house this age. 'Given that my husband already had a team of craftsmen working for him, everything was done to a very high standard,' she says. 'In the hallway, for example, we searched everywhere to find old limestone to replace the existing slabs. It proved impossible, so we laid Travertine marble instead.' In the kitchen, they installed an Aga stove and had bespoke white solid wood units constructed and added a white dresser and a Belfast sink in the island. 'The island counter is teak and came from a night club,' explains Hornibrook. 'Everyone who comes into the kitchen comments on it.' Off the kitchen are two utility rooms. It opens to an east-facing sunroom which has underfloor heating. 'It's a lovely comfortable room that gets the sun all day,' she adds. Whilst renovating it, the couple came across a secret room which was boarded-up. 'My husband calculated that there was six feet of space extra between the wall and the door and thought there had to be something there. One of his carpenters used a saw to cut a hole that allowed us to see into the space and we realised it was an old back stairs area.' The rediscovered room was renovated and turned into a traditional bar which has high stools, a piano and seating along the wall. 'We've had some great family parties here,' says Hornibrook. 'All four of my daughters got married in Castlemartyr Resort and all of their 'day two parties' were held in the house.' There's also original granite steps leading to a basement, which houses a pool table. 'The steps are quite worn and we think that the same servants probably went between the two houses by foot.' Upstairs, there are five double bedrooms, all with en suite bathrooms (added by the couple). 'We've gone to great trouble to maintain the Georgian style in all of the rooms. It's a comfortable house without being ostentatious, and everyone feels at home here.' There's an outdoor courtyard at the back which they renovated in a Mediterranean style with Indian sandstone underfoot. Here, there's an outdoor office, a potting room for the garden and an outdoor bathroom. The original walls surrounding the estate still stand and there's a 1km driveway leading up to it. The grounds contains a Koi pond, a fountain and oak trees that are over 200 years old. The house comes with one-bedroom Gate Lodge, which they've also renovated. 'It had a tree growing in it when we bought the house,' laughs Hornibrook. Sadly, husband Jack died in 2023 so she's now downsizing to a house in Kinsale. 'I hope a family with young children buys it and looks after it because, really, we're just custodians of houses like this.' Hegarty Properties seeks €1.6m.
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Glasnevin housing plan leaves uncertainty for businesses
Businesses in an industrial estate on the northside of Dublin say they are facing an uncertain future due to Dublin City Council's plans to redevelop the area for housing. Under the Ballyboggan Masterplan, the local authority plans to rezone 77 hectares of industrial land - between Glasnevin and Cabra - to develop 6,000 homes. However, some businesses say they are having trouble finding areas to relocate to and are calling on the council to help them source alternative sites. Igoe International, a 48-year-old family business that supplies building products as well as manufacturing and exporting roofing products, has operated from Dublin Industrial Estate for 30 years. Managing Director Vincent Igoe said: "It's probably sitting on about 2,000sq/m and to find similar space and zoned industrial around here is almost impossible so it would pose a difficulty in answering the question - where do we go when all of this stuff is supposedly going to kick off? "We've been here for 30 years and all our customers are here. We've also invested in making our display areas and showrooms and stuff like that here and we're obviously close to the city so we get footfall and traffic. "A lot of the businesses around here would be fairly mature. A lot of them are kind of family businesses, and a bit like our own, that could have been passed down to a son or someone on succession. So they're all pretty much in the same boat." Mr Igoe said that he would like to see Dublin City Council (DCC) help businesses such as his source alternative industrial sites. "We've had a little look around. There's not much on the market. The spaces are limited and the prices are quite high. So no matter what way you kick the ball you're almost at a disadvantage here. "There's a lot of space a little bit up the road towards Blanchardstown, or and maybe they could accommodate zoning some land for industrial use around there. That would probably be a sensible solution." Bob Cameron, of Cameron Cars, said that he may consider retiring and winding up his more than 20-year-old business because moving to an alternative site at the current market rates is not viable. "I've been operating in this estate nearly 20 years. There's nowhere really we can move to. I need a lot of car park spaces as I have about 100 cars in stock. "There's no real viable plan for us. Everybody's just holding on and just trying to find what's happening. "If it is going to happen, we have to be compensated. We have to be paid for the movement and also another unit. "It's kind of at the point that I nearly have to pack it in because it just won't it won't work. It's not viable." It is not just businesses who are concerned about the development. The Ballyboggan Masterplan proposes the development of 6,000 homes in mainly two- to four-storey units. But a number of submissions made as part of a public consultation said that the number lacks ambition and called on DCC to build more. However, Senior Lecturer in Housing at Technological University Dublin, Dr Lorcan Sirr, said that he believes the council is taking the right approach. "I think it's really good actually and I think they have the density levels about right at 100 to 250 units per hectare and their focus is on more family units rather than smaller, high income, high yield investment units. "They're looking to house families here, which is what we're sort of lacking in Dublin. "In the last two years alone, 95% of all new housing that has been built in Dublin City Council areas has been apartments and 95% for rent. "So the focus on something that people can actually get their hands on, and that would be for families, would be really beneficial, and what's needed in the city. "In theory, high density sounds great, we should squeeze as many units on as possible. What you get though is higher land values, that means the cost of construction is going to be higher. That means whatever comes out the other end is going to be less affordable for people. "So if you moderate the density, you might get fewer households on it, but at least the housing that comes out will be affordable to build and affordable to live in there for the people who do end up living there. So I think they've got it about right." However, Dr Sirr says it could take a number of years for the homes to materialise. "If the State takes more control over it, you will probably see a steadier rate of delivery. It could take ten years to do this, at least. If we go all out relying on the private sector, we could be here in 20 years. "We see this with other regeneration projects in Dublin that are still on the go many years later, the likes of Adamstown, that should have been developed a long time ago, but because of the circular nature of the property market in which it relied, they are still only being developed to this day." Plan supports development of new Dublin neighbourhood - DCC DCC said that the chosen density is in line with sustainable development guidelines and the Dublin City Development Plan. The council added that, when it comes to the future of businesses, the majority of lands are in private ownership and it will support those who wish to redevelop as well as the retention and consolidation of many existing businesses. However, it said that regeneration of this type is complex and will take many years to achieve. "The Baile Bogáin (Ballyboggan) Masterplan supports the development of a new mixed use neighbourhood in Dublin which aligns with the Government's National Planning Framework. "This will be achieved through the robust spatial framework that is designed to guide future redevelopment opportunities in a coherent and sustainable manner, while ensuring that urban design is imperative to regeneration. "Fundamental to the regeneration of this area is the retention and consolidation of existing businesses as the area transitions towards more diversified mixed uses," the council said.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
‘Mahon Point 2.0' promises more apartments, office and retail spaces and jobs
Management says the project has been designed with inspiration from the '15-minute city' model, which enables residents to live, work, shop, and socialise within walking or cycling distance. Named Mahon Point 2.0, it will bring 251 new apartments, in a range of household sizes, with access to open space, play areas, and recreational amenities. Justin Young, centre director at Mahon Point Shopping Centre, said: 'For the last 20 years, Mahon Point Shopping Centre has been the heart and meeting place for Mahon's community and the wider region. We are excited to present a demand-led expansion that enhances Mahon for everyone and looks forward to the next 20 years. 'By placing homes, sustainable transport, and civic amenities at the core of this vision, we hope to create a new chapter in Cork's growth that reflects community values as much as economic ambition.' The development, which will create 365 construction jobs, will also include a purpose-built crèche supporting 64 child spaces. It will also feature a new market square and civic plaza to host the Mahon Point Farmers Market, public events and community activities New retail space will feature with 3,000 sqm to be developed along with a new office block offering over 70,000 sq ft of workspace. Transport will be central to the development with the construction of a multi-storey Car Park with 704 spaces, enhanced pedestrian and cycle infrastructure, segregation from vehicle traffic via an underpass, and future-proofed connectivity for light rail (Luas-style) and BusConnects services. Peter O'Meara, director at real estate company Savills Ireland, said: 'Cork is emerging as an international centre of scale, with a projected population growth of 50-60pc by 2040. With strong demand across residential and retail sectors, this development answers the call for high-quality, integrated spaces that serve both current and future generations.' Members of the public are invited to attend a Public Information Event on the proposed Mahon Point 2.0 development, taking place on Tuesday, July 8 from 4pm to 7pm in the Community Room at Mahon Point Shopping Centre. This event will give local residents, businesses and others the opportunity to learn more about the plans, meet the project team, and ask questions in an informal setting.
