Chic cottage by the Nore with designer twist for €495k

A designer’s renovated cut-stone cottage set in a dreamy countryside near the river Nore in Co Kilkenny comes to the market with an interesting back story.

River Lodge, The Rower, is part of a hamlet of four cottages and farm buildings converted into an artist’s retreat in 2009 by fashion designer Pat McCarthy.

Originally from Cork, McCarthy loved visiting a friend who had a place in Kilkenny – and, having bought a site, he asked Irish-born London architect Mark Guard to develop it.

The site had a series of old stone farm buildings which he restored over time, first as a retreat where guests could attend workshops in writing, drawing and photography.

Called Ballilogue, the retreat developed into a tiny holiday village, with four buildings offering chic accommodation for up to 22 people with gourmet catering provided. It’s since become a popular wedding spot, as well as a venue for corporate events and family get-togethers.

River Lodge is now being sold to allow further development of the hamlet. Ballilogue will continue to be run in the other three cottages.

River Lodge has its own entrance and a large country garden to the front. The 140sq m (1,500sq ft) four-bedroom house comes with a separate 18.5sq m (200sq ft) home office on 0.139 hectare (0.345 acre) of garden. It’s for sale at €495,000 through local agent PN O’Gorman.

The style is contemporary country, with lots of exposed stone walls along with a contemporary kitchen and bathrooms and dark timber floors. Downstairs is an open-plan kitchen/diningroom with double doors opening into the garden and off it, a livingroom/sunroom with a raised hearth and wood-burning stove. Glazed sliding doors open from here into the garden.

A double bedroom on the ground floor has an en suite shower room. There’s also a small study with a wood-burning stove on the ground floor. Upstairs are three more bedrooms, two of them en suite, and a family bathroom.

The garden has birch and oak trees, beech and hazel hedging and perennial and wildflower plants. The house is one field away from the Nore, says the owner. The Rower is a small village about 10-11km from Inistioge.

, and 10 minutes from New Ross, Graiguenamanagh and Inistioge, says the owner. From Dublin, he reckons it’s a 1½-hour drive – depending on the traffic – on the N7/N9. Its space and comfortable fit-out means it could be a year-round home or holiday home.