CORK city’s South Parish is an exemplar of what can be achieved through progressive planning. From a struggling inner-city neighbourhood blighted by dereliction and schools’ closures, it now hosts a number of big ticket items, such as award-winning tourist attraction Nano Nagle Place and UCC’s Centre for Architectural Education on Douglas St.
A series of small businesses have helped lift the area too, like Good Day Deli in the gardens of Nano Nagle Place and its on-street little sister, recently-arrived Nádúr.
Douglas St is at the heart of the regeneration of South Parish, which also has the distinction of being home to Cork city’s oldest structure, Red Abbey tower. It’s all that remains of an Augustinian friary, believed to date to the 13th or 14th century.
Fans of neighbourhoods that embrace change while respecting their heritage will find a lot to like in this city area where once grand houses were often sub-divided to accommodate a growing population. Red Abbey Street is home to what is considered the city’s narrowest house, measuring just 2.6m at its widest point.
Far more roomy, by comparison, is No 3 Red Abbey, featured here. Everything is relative though, and at 55 sq m, it too is a compact home.
Selling agent Tim Sullivan of Tim Sullivan & Associates says “it’s like an apartment, but way better”.
No 3’s Barbie-pink Georgian front door with glazed side panels and superb fanlight, and matching sash windows, is an eye-catching sight on this terraced street where there’s lots to look at.
Centre stage is Red Abbey Tower itself and the plaza that fronts it, where the greening of urban streets has had positive results.
A few doors down is a former RTÉ House of the Year finalist. A quick google will show you how smart spatial reimagining and a good eye for interiors turned this cosy home into the ultimate townhouse pad.
No 3 is looking pretty good too. The front door opens straight into an open-plan living/dining area where original features include an exposed stone hearth and exposed, whitewashed brickwork in alcoves to the side of the fireplace.
Behind it is a galley kitchen and a separate utility area.
A spiral staircase leads from the main living space straight into a double bedroom, with a bathroom off it.
“The entire first floor is given over to the bedroom and the bathroom,” Mr Sullivan says.
Rented out for a number of years, No 3 looks pretty fresh, while also retaining original features, such as windows shutters, which add to its charm. Its location is alluring too – just a single bridge separates it from the nearby city centre. The house doesn’t have a garden, but it is next to a plaza and Nano Nagle gardens are just across the road.
Perhaps the biggest attraction is the €205,000 price tag, which offers some hope to first time buyers.
“This is going to go to a single person or a couple who want to get out of rented accommodation in the city into a place of their own,” the agent says.
The most recent sale on Red Abbey Street was of No 22, which featured in Property & Home last April. At 57 sq m, it was slightly bigger than No 3 and had two bedrooms and a better energy rating (C2 v G). It sold last month for €250,000.
Ideal as a starter home but could be snapped up by an investor given the location.
