It's literally ‘that old chestnut’ when we’re talking about Menloe Gardens on Cork’s Blackrock Rd.

There might be bigger or fancier houses here but most prized properties in this 1930s-built estate are most likely the ones circling a central green dotted with chestnut trees older than pretty much any of us.

And then there’s that old chestnut of location — Menloe Gardens really has this one more than covered. It’s on the Blackrock Rd so it’s close enough to walk, bus, or cycle to the city centre but also has the quiet suburban atmosphere sought by house hunters. More specifically on the location front, No 11 is on the right hand side as you enter the estate which gives it that lovely west-facing back garden.

This four-bed detached home has been “in the same family since day one”, notes agent Timothy Sullivan of Timothy Sullivan and Associates.

It’s now an estate sale for this elegant — but very dated — house. It doesn’t have central heating and has a G energy rating so new owners are of course going to end up remedying all this.

“There is significant upgrading needed here. New owners will have options which could include retaining the front facade and actually demolishing the rest of the property, subject to planning permission. There is precedent for doing that here already.”

But the key thing with this house is that it “got lucky” with its position within the cul-de-sac says Timothy: “The situation and location of No 11 is superb — overlooking the green with its landmark chestnut trees in this most popular matured park off the Blackrock Rd.”

And sticking with leafy matters, what might once have been considered an eccentricity is now more recognised as a mature and forward-thinking attitude to conservation and environmental matters...

Prior to retirement the owner had worked as a consultant anaesthetist but was also an enthusiastic bird watcher and avid lover of nature, to the extent that she refused to even allow a path be laid from the roadway to the front door lest it impact on wildlife.

There was a modest-sized extension of about 25sq m added to the rear of the house some years ago, giving an accessible extra bedroom downstairs with an en suite bathroom.

The four original bedrooms are all upstairs and there’s a garage attached to the house too.

The two most recent sales at Menloe Gardens both comfortably topped the million euro mark: Glendhu sold for €1.08m and The Limes went for €1.65m in 2025.
However, both of those houses were in move-in condition. And you’ll have to go back nearly a decade to find any Menloe Gardens sales for sums less than €500k.

Potential buyers will know well that this address brings a lot of conveniences and many interested parties may well be living in the area with children already attending local schools — there are several primary schools nearby, including St Michaels, Ballintemple, Beaumont, and Our Lady of Lourdes national schools.

Living here also puts you within walking distance of the Marina Promenade and the Atlantic Pond, just a short stroll past the popular Menloe Stores with its good selection of Irish and locally-produced foods, and down Church Avenue opposite St Michael’s Church.

A gentle main road amble gets you to a choice of bars offering food, quizzes, and music. And you could also consider The Castle Café at Blackrock Castle your incentive for extending your walk along Castle Road.

More mainstream outlets nearby include two supermarkets and three garages.

Heading townwards you’ve got more pubs as well as a tasty deli/café and a well-stocked grocery store at Ballintemple.

If you don’t want to make it all about the food but are still keen to keep things ‘local’ then you could potter along to a dotey antiques and arts store on the main Blackrock Rd. With the eclectic selection of art on offer here you’ll easily pick up a quirky or stylish piece of glass or sculpture for your new home or even your garden.

Or keep things really local with a wander around the green at Menloe Gardens and check out the variety of architectural styles at play. Even when originally built, it seems that no two houses were identical and the cornucopia of extensions and renovations over the past few decades have rendered them even more diverse ... plenty inspiration on offer for buyers of No 11.