Buyer of Glebe Lodge in Baltimore will have award-winning gardens to savor

Baltimore, West CorkPrice:
€395,000
Cut	61 square meters (657 square feet)
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	1
BER

IMAGINE having outstanding, award-winning gardens in your backyard and not having to lift a finger to maintain them? This is essentially the case at Glebe Lodge, the charming original mid-19th century lodge located at the entrance to Glebe House.

Its owners can enjoy all the social benefits of living near an extraordinarily talented gardener, without any of the grueling demands of maintaining five acres of flower, vegetable and herb gardens.

Kate Cowhig, owner of the lodge, says Jean Perry, owner of Glebe House, is a “garden genius…and we feel very privileged to be able to enjoy the benefits”.

Kate, known for her strong work ethic – she founded Kate Cowhig International Healthcare Recruitment and now works as a healthcare consultant – completely revamped Glebe Lodge during lockdown and successfully rented it out on Airbnb, calling herself a superhost , which means she lived up to the billing of what a good host should be.

If an investor buys the lodge, they will have a ready-made Airbnb, with a host of rave reviews, and also the option to expand, given that Kate has already obtained planning permission, when she applied for a extension of 750 square feet after purchase. the lodge in 2011. They didn’t expand at the time and permission is now lapsed, but a precedent has been set.

Local engineer Sharon Walsh designed the extension, which Kate says would have effectively doubled the size of the pavilion, with a courtyard in the centre.

In fact, the lodge was once owned by Jean Perry and her husband Peter, but she sold it in 2004 and used the money to set up the popular Glebe Cafe in the gardens, run by her daughters. Unfortunately the cafe closed during lockdown and has not reopened yet. The gardens remain open to the public.

The lodge benefited from lockdown, when Kate and her husband began renovations in 2019, doing most of the work themselves. They installed a new kitchen and a new bathroom, with underfloor heating in both.

New flooring has been laid in the bedroom and a wood burning stove has been installed in the living room.

They also got rid of a makeshift staircase leading to a mezzanine and installed an actual staircase, accessible through a door from the living room.

The mezzanine has space for a trundle bed or a sofa or it could be used
as a study or play area for children.

The ground floor bedroom is generous and the vaulted ceilings in the living room and kitchen create a feeling of space and light, with particularly pleasant lighting in the kitchen, thanks to a heavily glazed ceiling.

Next to the kitchen is an enclosed, sheltered garden, with a lawn on one side and a wonderful private patio with a barbecue area, on the other side. Kate says the old walls mark where there was once a school in prison days, with old door lintels still visible.

A detached pavilion-style shed in the back garden houses utilities and garden furniture.

Kate says the location is ideal for a walk (five minutes) into pretty Baltimore Village with its Michelin-starred Dede restaurant, while Casey’s Hotel is practically next door.

Ferries to glorious Sherkin Island and Cape Clear are available from Baltimore Pier and there are several popular pubs, such as Bushes and the refurbished Algiers Inn.

Kate is selling as part of a downsizing plan, which includes the sale of her full-time home, Abbey Farmhouse in Skibbereen, which featured in Property last year. She’s swapping West Cork for East Cork and with a family member now living in London, she also wants more free time for sightseeing on the water rather than tending to an Airbnb.

Olivia Hanafin of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill runs the 61m² £395,000 lodge and the type of buyer she’s looking for is someone looking for a turnkey property that “they can retreat to and Sign out”.

“I would say it will be a couple seeking sanctuary in Baltimore. It has a wonderful south-west facing garden with a nice patio, just
perfect for dining out, barbecuing and entertaining. It is a charming place of entertainment.

“The cottage is immaculate and the perfect base from which to make the most of West Cork’s attractions,” she says, pointing to the cycle path to Lough Hyne and the walking path to the Beacon.

VERDICT: A perfect asshole in an enchanting West Cork setting. Likely to attract investors or couples looking to downsize and retire to coastal living.