Tori Amos’ former Kinsale home drops from € 1.25m to € 2.95m in two years

A The PERIOD house upstream from Kinsale town, used as a quiet spiritual retreat by singer Tori Amos during her nearly 25 years of ownership, returned for sale after a quick and major upgrade, and after two years of use as a very busy Airbnb venue for important gatherings.

The eight-bedroom Ballywilliam house, on the River Bandon, about 4 miles upstream from Kinsale, was just listed last week with an AMV of € 2.95 million.

With a frontage on the water, it is over 200 years old and now spans 2.4 acres, close to a large farm at the end of a long cul-de-sac, with a small beach, with the tide of the river, and scenic down to Innishannon.

And, it has had a makeover since it was last put on sale.

Singer and songwriter Tori Amos had it since 1995, one of the many properties she owned in remote locations, using it for recording and sharing with other creators. When she put it on sale in 2018, it was in what has been described as an under-restored condition, gently pushed over time.

Deciding to part with it then, she commented about Ballywilliam that “it really breaks my heart to see her go, but this magical place needs to find a new owner who can fully live and breathe all that she is.” has to offer.

“I will miss her, but I will always cherish the memories, both personal and artistic.”

Then he had published a price guide of 1.45 million euros and was listed on the price register at 1.192 million euros – and, with the added value of his land, it is likely that he made transactions. by 2019 for 1.25 million euros.

His acquirer is a businessman who had already purchased several other Kinsale properties for Airbnb rentals, and as soon as the sale closed he started working on Ballywilliam, both on the slate house part, and on his land, which included a smoking room.

The sales agent is now Brendan Bowe, who opened a real estate agency in Kinsale (his third office in Cork) earlier this year, and he says the Georgian house Ballywilliam has undergone a thorough renovation since, with four of the eight bedrooms upgraded to en-suite, with two further bathrooms to serve guests in the 4,700 square foot home / room, above the basement.

There is an upscale kitchen with large units painted in blue, a beautiful formal triple aspect reception room with a slender stone fireplace, a cantilevered staircase with oculus window, a lighted front door by a fan, an internal transom and sash windows.

The dining room has a table that seats 22, and outside there are two kiosks for outdoor gatherings and meals, which comes in handy in times of Covid-19 awareness.

One, with canvas sides, is located directly in front of the house, with outdoor barbecues and parking on a nearby gravel driveway, and the other is at the end of the driveway through the lower lots. at the water’s edge and a mini pebble and tidal beach.

Mr Bowe presents Ballywilliam House as’ truly an original gem, in a beautiful country setting on its own private grounds which is further enhanced by walled rear gardens, original smoke vaults, a dry moat with a limestone bridge ornate and recently added bespoke garden gazebos in the courtyard and on the foreshore ”.

Road access to and from Kinsale is along a cul de sac upstream from Ballinacurra House (for sale for over € 6.3million via Knight Frank, and which is to host a music festival of two days, the Great Beyond, September 11 and 12) culminating in Ballywilliam and an adjacent farmhouse.

Boat / RIB access to Kinsale town, its harbor and the great ocean beyond is also possible at high tide.

Ballywilliam House, on its 2.5 acres, has joined a multi-million dollar high-end real estate listing group from Kinsale, sitting, eh, in the mid-range, at 2.95 million euros via Bowe Property.

The latest result of 1 million euros + sale to the price register is an old town hall renovated and extended at 12 Fr McSweeney Villas, Ardbrack, at 1.45 million euros.

The ledger shows 36 Kinsale sales at € 1million since 2010, including Ballywilliam House itself, which sold in less polished condition in late 2019, at € 1.192million.

VERDICT: One of the true period homes in the greater Kinsale area, hoping to capitalize on the local, national and even global rise in demand for waterfront properties, and currently high values .
At the time of Tori Amos, albums like his Boys for Pelé were recorded here: will the house itself now set its own record, doubling in value in just two years?