Stable convert for €1.7m
Owners moved to L-shaped block when Ballymagooly burned, writes
ASKING PRICE: €1.7m AGENT: Michael H Daniels (025) 31023
IN HIS early 20th century description of Ballymagooly House in Mallow, Colonel James Grove White remarks that a window pane in one of the bedrooms contained the line: “Mary Nash, 1811”. Her sister Amelia had inscribed her own name on another pane.
We don’t know whether or not Mary and Amelia got into trouble for defacing the windows of their fine 18th century manor house. But at any rate, the evidence of their misdemeanour has long since vanished, along with the early Georgian mansion itself — demolished in 1955 after a fire.
All that’s left is the former stable block. But what a building this is. Following the blaze, it turned out to be big enough and grand enough for the owners to convert it into a replacement country residence and it has since inherited the name of the big house it served.
Ballymagooly House, sometimes known as The Garrison, was owned by a succession of keen sportsmen (including the Nashs and the Courtneys) who provided salubrious accommodation for their horses. Indeed the nags probably enjoyed more comfortable lodgings than most of the villagers thereabouts.
The L-shaped house and former stable block dates from around 1760, with striking period features, including the arched former carriage entrances that surround the main doors. It comes with 900 metres of fishing rights on the Blackwater River and there are some 103ac around it, including pasture and woodland and the obligatory stables (new versions since installed).
It also has rental potential, being dividable in two: the four-bedroom main residence and a five-bedroom annexe suitable for a guest suite or to rent out. If you want to turn it into one massive 6,458 sq ft abode, you’ ll likely have to knock through the library downstairs and create a hallway to link the bedrooms upstairs. Bear in mind, it is a listed building. You approach the house by means of an avenue about 250 metres long with a gate lodge. The main house has a marble-floored entrance hall, big enough for a grand piano, with a handsome mahogany open-string staircase rising to a gallery landing above.
To the left, there’s a dual-aspect drawing room with an oak floor and a wood-burning stove set in a French marble fireplace. The drawing room opens into a breakfast room with another marble fireplace. At almost 24ft by 12ft, the breakfast room is easily big enough to accommodate 10 diners, but if you want to set up a rival party, there’s a separate dining room as well.
The breakfast room is also linked by an archway to the kitchen, which is fitted with beech cabinets and a centre island with a granite countertop.
Completing the country look, there’s also a terracotta floor and an Aga, and there’s a separate utility room so your dinner guests need never catch sight of your smalls. Meanwhile, back on the other side of the entrance hall there’s a small study and a guest toilet and then the library. This room is also dual-aspect and has French doors to a terrace outside, and there’s another wood-burning stove in a marble fireplace.
Up on the first floor, there are four bedrooms arranged around a gallery landing with a vaulted ceiling, as well as two bathrooms. The main bedroom is dual-aspect and has a walk-in wardrobe, while the main bathroom has a cast-iron bath. The annexe is perpendicular to the main house and has two reception rooms, a sunroom, a kitchen, five bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Behind the house is the original walled garden and there’s a yard with stables, workshop, tackroom and timber store.
The property is for sale in lots: the house on 22ac; 75ac of land; six acres of riverbank with fishing rights and the agent seeks €1.7m for the entire.