The lodge overlooks the Lee at the famous Blackrock Castle – this is Corker

There's hardly a town house that says 'Pure Cork, pure dacynth, lad' as easily as this humble and modestly named dormer, as The Lodge puts it.

Situated right on a rocky headland jutting out towards the River Lee where it widens beyond the village of Blackrock to Lough Mahon, The Lodge is next door to the iconic Blackrock Castle, with some of Cork’s most beloved waterways running along its walls and, to top it all off, views both upriver and down the estuary that will thrill any house hunter, Cork native or not.

On the pleasant evening when the Irish Examiner's correspondent visited the newly listed property, the setting sun was happy to provide a 'money shot' from the kitchen window, turning the water into pure molten gold rising towards the city to the west.

“If you think it's beautiful, you should see the sunrise from the other side, from the veranda,” say the owners, who have been fortunate enough to live here for 35 years, raising a family, playing local sports and attending local schools, and walking and rowing on the River Lee.

It's hard to keep up with the junk next door! Gothic style and converted Blackrock Castle has real defensive stone roots from the 16th century, updated and altered in the 19th century when towers, lodge and courtyard gates were added to give an impressive result.

The castle has variously been owned by the local authority and played civic roles, having been a restaurant, a private home, offices for an engineering firm and was bought by the city council. Now, since the early 2000s, it houses an observatory open to the public and educational groups, as well as a thriving cafe with al fresco dining.

It turns out the cafe has also tried its hand at “private dining,” such as during the recent global pandemic.

“During Covid we’ve occasionally ordered food from the Castle Café and had it delivered on silver trays with a pint of stout and a gin and tonic!” the owners say with an appreciative laugh, adding that they love the buzz it brings to Castle Rd. Delivery? No, more like takeaway.

With its own dining room overlooking the castle and water through the drawing room, it’s no surprise that The Lodge family found it easy to entertain. One of the couple, now downsizing, grew up in the family-run Bunnyconnellan Bar in Myrtleville – another beloved Cork waterfront outpost.

A series of photographs on the long veranda show the glory days of the Bunnys, when children would crowd around the rock-top fish pond, which sometimes also housed an aviary.

As for health and safety? “Every week, a child would fall and get wet. My mother would wipe them up and hide them in our clothes, and we would never see them again!”

There is another Cork sporting legend associated with The Lodge.

The Lodge was built more than 40 years ago on the former site of the 1798 Castlemahon at this key point on the peninsula behind the village of Blackrock. The basement Castlemahon moved from private residence to nursing home in the latter years of the 20th century, and before that was the family home of legendary Cork golfer Jimmy Bruen, who, although Belfast-born, knew a good Cork when he saw one, married a local girl and lived on Castle Road in the historic splendour of the house.

After many years of use as a nursing home, Castlemahon was acquired by the Redemptorist Order in the early 2000s and today operates as a modest retreat centre, Scala (Italian for 'step'), still set in extensive grounds suitable for meditative walks.

The Lodge stands back from the leafy driveway into Scala, sharing it with another private, substantial, modern family home, hidden in mature greenery. It stands on its own 0.2 acre plot, on a north-south axis and thus has river views to the east and west.

While its Dutch dormer outline won't raise any eyebrows from design buffs, this is a high-quality, exceptionally well-kept family home that doesn't stand out given the elevated company it's in – between Blackrock and Castlemahon Castles.

The gracious hosts, who have a family and several grandchildren who come to visit, say of their time at The Lodge: 'Many events have happened here, including a 100th birthday party where the Lord Mayor danced with Granny.

“There have been other birthdays, graduations, weddings and christenings here, and the circle has been completed: the grandchildren are running around, gluing fairies to trees and enjoying walks and bike rides around the area.”

“It was time to reluctantly move out and let another family enjoy the home, the view and the lifestyle,” they add, adding to the landscaping with plenty of trees, shrubs, flower beds, paths past ferns and small lawns and seating areas, as well as interior updates along the way.

The views from the old limestone boundary walls look first to the castle, then to the river and Loch Mahon, and to the Blackrock Harbour Walk and the waterfront of the training station, with shipping passing close to Tivoli and the docks by the town. Some of the huge vessels almost fill the window frames at high tide, like twisting buildings going to and from the world, their owners tracking them and their cargoes with an almost personal interest.

There are also boatmen and crews in sculls, quads and eights from the three rowing clubs along the Marina/Blackrock, rowers from Meitheal Mara/Naomhoga Chorcai, kayakers, yachtsmen, dinghies and inflatables taking tours of the harbour – all passing Blackrock Castle and, by default, The Lodge.

Based on the idea that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, one of the locals completed the race from the ocean to the city from Crosshaven City Hall – so she knows her city and her hometown inside out.

The auctioneer is Laurence Sweeney of Savills, and since receiving the listing and selling instructions (he is forecasting a price of €1.2m), he says word has been getting out that The Lodge is about to open: “I’ve had a number of calls and requests for viewings. It’s a fabulous property and is sure to steal someone’s heart.”

After a slow start to 2024, Blackrock in Cork is ending the season with a string of successful sales.

A Georgian gem on Riverside, nearby on Castle Road, sold for €2.1m; three other €1m-plus deals are on the 2024 price register, several €1m-€2.5m listings in mid-Blackrock Road are currently in high demand, and Savills itself has “agreed to sell” a Victorian listing at its mid-market value, likely to exceed €1m, in Park Villas on the outskirts of the city on Victoria Road.

House hunters with the cash to spend will find another good deal or two in the Blackrock area over the next few weeks, and – cheer up – there are a few more affordable listings in the €400k/€500k and around range in this edition of Property & Homes. Go to view.

But Castle Road? Mr Sweeney admits the place speaks for itself (in a Cork accent, of course), saying the grounds are a gardener's paradise, private and easy to maintain, and the house itself has been regularly updated, with several windows replaced as recently as last year.

The two-story dormer has up to four bedrooms, one/two at ground level next to the bathroom, and upstairs, behind frames of art and ceramics, is the master bedroom with ensuite and a balcony for watching coffee at dawn. There is also a large, two-bedroom, dual-aspect additional bedroom created by combining two smaller bedrooms together to create a teen sleeping/living/study space.

This comfortable 2,200 sq ft C1 rated home already has all the charm: an attached gable carport makes it easy to modernise or integrate into the main house, while the veranda with three Velux awnings is the family's 'star' room and daily entertaining hub.

The kitchen overlooks the river and gives it a run for its money, and the stepped living/dining room is also picture perfect, again with plenty of local art and water features on the walls.

Will all this change? Maybe, maybe not, just how. Lucky are those who live here: like the vendors who have had 35 years of fun, they are likely to stay for a long time.

It's adaptable – for example, the house has only two bathrooms, which would likely be too light for a four-bedroom, two-story home for those buying at the top end of the market.

The views from here are stunning, so some might want to enhance them further with even more glass, limited only by budget (the €1.2m AMV might just be a starting point) and, of course, planning.

Perhaps the council wouldn't want anything too intrusive here, given its proximity to Blackrock Castle?

On the other hand, this castle is not at all intimidating, and there is an observatory on its roof, so perhaps there is no limit?

VERDICT: Great house, but location and layout.

Where else can you get it?