Effortless period grace at €550,000 Cushendall, on the venerable Old Blackrock Road 

HOW do you go about naming a house? Get a sign made with the name on it, hang it out front, and tell the postman. That’s the smart answer. In reality, householders have their own reasons: cultural, commemorative, whimsy, to add value, nostalgia.

When the current owners of Cushendall moved into their Old Blackrock Road home in 1989, they found a black and white photograph of a headstone. The name engraved on it was William McDonnell, from Cushendall, a stunning village on Antrim’s Causeway Coast. William died young, possibly during the Second World War. A bit of his legacy lives on at No 1 Old Blackrock Road.

Cushendall is one of a terrace of four period homes at the Victoria Avenue end of the Old Blackrock Road, opposite six-house Sorrento Terrace, where several properties have undergone extensive upgrades in recent years.

 Houses on both terraces have the graceful character traits of period homes: high ceilings, original fireplaces, big bay windows, good proportions in the main reception rooms.

 They present the usual challenges too: how to improve energy efficiency in homes built in the early 1900s.

The owners of No 1 invested in energy improvements by putting on a new roof about eight years ago. About three years ago, they installed a new Bosch heating system. They replaced bay windows at the front of the property, packing the walls beneath with insulation.

They left the front door alone, apart from replacing the glass panels - “done by a chap who does Church windows” they say - and they dealt with draughts by sealing the porch with a second, draughtproof door.

Chimneys were closed off and capped.

The couple was committed to retaining original features, including the Victorian hallway tiles, original fireplaces, doors (which they dipped) and original Canadian pitch pine flooring and staircase.

“You can’t get that kind of timber anymore because they don’t cut down Canadian pine now,” the owners say.

No 1 was in a shocking state when they moved in, so for the first few months they “lived with builders”.

“There was a cement mixer in the hallway,” the woman of the house recalls. They did a good job of the two reception rooms which are very much in character. 

The kitchen is a newer addition, to the rear of these two rooms. 

It was a galley when they moved in, but they extended it in the 1990s and put in a skylight.

Cushendall is a three-bed end-of-terrace home, with bedrooms on the first floor and the main bathroom at the return of the stairs .Also on the return is a guest WC, which doubles as a utility. Overhead, a converted attic is used for storage.

Even though the current owners have done lots to Cushendall, new owners will likely invest further to improve the BER from its current E1. The attic will need more attention too, if new owners are keen to use it for more than storage eg as a home office or playroom or gym.

New owners will be pleased to see that they have off-street parking on a road where driveways are scarce. “You can fit four cars into the drive,” say the owners, as they’re on a wider corner site, with room for a sideways extension.

A broad gate across the driveway ensures privacy when they sit out in the evening. There’s a small patio area to the rear and a tidy lawn in front of the house.

The owners, who are downsizing, raised their two children at 1,474 sq m Cushendall. They say they can’t overstate the convenience of the location vis-a-vis schools, amenities and proximity to Cork City centre.

Auctioneer Kevin Barry agrees, adding that the neighbourhood is “mature and much sought-after” and that the city is just a 10-minute walk away”.

“Cushendall is an instantly appealing family home offering bright, generously proportioned accommodation,” Mr Barry says. The guide price is €550,000.

VERDICT: A graceful home in a nice neighbourhood that will benefit from additional upgrades. Period features have been respected.