Apartment No. 9 Blackrock House, Blackrock, Co. Cork, T12FC3V

No. 9 sits on the top floor of Blackrock House, a landmark Georgian building dating to 1770, in the heart of Blackrock village. It is the only dual-aspect, two-bed apartment in the building to enjoy this position, and something that rarely comes to the market. From up here, there are two outlooks that can never be taken away, as both are protected. The apartment runs east to west: to the east, the convent gardens and the old Oratory, with the morning light and the tops of 300-year-old trees at the window; to the west, Cork Harbour and the meadow walk, with the evening sun and a view that changes with the tide and the seasons. Both views bring a smile to your face each and every day. What strikes you first inside is the sense of light and the space. Ten tall period windows and high ceilings of twelve feet fill the rooms with daylight, and the deep window sills — a consequence of walls being up to a metre thick — lend the whole apartment a great sense of calm. The handcrafted timber shutters on every window are as practical as they are beautiful, adding privacy and warmth. It is remarkably quiet too, being on the top floor with nothing overhead, wrapped in the solid old fabric of the building. That silence is not something that was added. It is in the walls. The apartment has been very well looked after and is ready to move straight into — the vendors are the first owners since the building's complete refurbishment. The bespoke Linehan kitchen, made here in Ireland with marble worktops, opens off a generous drawing room that suits a quiet evening or a houseful of guests equally well. Wide-plank timber floors run right through the apartment, warmed by eleven period column radiators in keeping with the building, and the room is finished with striking handcrafted Italian pendant lighting — the sort of thing only the high ceilings here make possible. Both bedrooms are calm and private, the main one reached through a period arch, with its own entrance, walk-in wardrobe and en-suite. Two full bathrooms, a proper full-height storeroom and a partially floored, lit attic — space you will not find in the other apartments — make it as practical as it is characterful. It is a home of two centuries at once: 18th-century character with 21st-century comfort. Behind the period windows sits a building fully rewired, replumbed and insulated, with fibre broadband and district heating throughout — so it works as easily for someone running a business remotely as for a family settling in. And as a professionally managed, gated development of just 27 residences — with priority EV charging installed — it is a genuine lock-and-leave: secure, cared-for, and ready to come and go from, whether as a full-time home or a Cork base to enjoy at leisure. For an international or corporate buyer wanting the simplest of moves, the apartment is available fully furnished by separate arrangement — walk in and start living. A good deal of thought has gone into every corner of No. 9, from the shutters to the warm lighting throughout. It is a home that feels settled and private — the sort of place you are glad to close the door behind you in. And then there is Blackrock itself. Step out through the historic gates and the village is on your doorstep — coffee shops, the Sunday farmers' market, the pubs and restaurants, the Pier and the Marina Market. The harbour walks, Blackrock Castle, the Atlantic Pond and the Marina greenway are all only minutes away on foot, with regular buses into Cork city — just 3 km away — and Cork International Airport, and its direct flights to the UK and Europe, just a quick drive or short taxi ride away (around 10 km). It is a fully walkable waterfront setting, and one of the nicest spots in Cork to live. A private, safe and secure home of real character in a landmark building, with views that are yours to keep. Viewing comes highly recommended. PERIOD CHARACTER, MODERN COMFORT Blackrock House began as the Ursuline Convent in 1770 — 75 years before the Famine — founded by Nano Nagle, one of Ireland's most revered figures and a pioneer of Irish education. This landmark Georgian building has stood ever since as one of Cork's finest protected structures. Over 250 years of history sit behind its walls, and its sensitive restoration — a project of conservation as much as conversion — preserved what could not be put back once lost: masonry walls up to a metre thick, the original Georgian proportions, fan windows, cornicing and ceiling roses, and stained glass from the studio of Harry Clarke, whose work is prized the world over. Behind all that period character, No. 9 is a thoroughly modern home. The building was fully rewired, replumbed and insulated before anyone moved in, and the apartment itself wants for nothing — good Irish craftsmanship, marble, quality fittings, fibre broadband, district heating and hot water on demand. The character of 1770, with none of the compromises of an old building. ACCOMMODATION Entrance Hall (9.26m x 1.45m) — Three period windows and wide-plank timber floors; deep sills, golden glow pendant lighting and a bright, generous welcome. Double doors open into the drawing room. Entrance Vestibule (3.00m x 1.70m) — Framed by a period arch — elegant separation from the living areas, with good space for coats and everyday things. Drawing Room (7.85m x 5.60m) — The heart of the home. Dual-aspect east–west and filled with light, with harbour and sunset views west and the convent gardens east, through four period windows with handcrafted shutters. Handcrafted Italian pendant lighting on dimmers, wide-plank floors and column radiators. Kitchen (2.70m x 3.10m) — Bespoke Linehan kitchen, handcrafted in Ireland, with marble worktops and integrated appliances. A period window over the Oratory gardens. Utility Room (2.70m x 1.10m) — Off the kitchen, plumbed for a washing machine, with a clever concealed clothes-drying arrangement and further storage. Main Bedroom (3.61m x 3.14m) — Reached through a period arch, with its own entrance. Calm and private, facing east over the gardens and Oratory, with handcrafted shutters, wide-plank floors, column radiators and complete quiet — top floor, nothing overhead. Walk-in Wardrobe (2.25m x 1.20m) — Fully fitted and shelved, behind mirrored bi-fold doors — a rare luxury in apartment living. En-suite (2.72m x 2.70m) — Villeroy & Boch and Hansgrohe fittings; bath with overhead shower, wall-hung WC and basin. Private to the main bedroom. Bedroom 2 (3.24m x 3.20m) — A fine double, also east-facing over the gardens, with the canopy of the old trees at the window and its own bathroom alongside. Bathroom (2.90m x 1.25m) — A second full bathroom, accessed from the inner hall — Villeroy & Boch and Hansgrohe fittings, walk-in shower with sliding glass door, wall-hung WC and basin. Storeroom (1.70m x 1.40m) — A dedicated shelved storeroom off the inner hallway