Georgian House For Sale in Co. Roscommon

Killinvoy House is an impressive Georgian period house in a mature woodland setting outside the village of Knockcroghery and offers an outstanding outlook over the surrounding rural countryside.

A gated entrance leads up a long winding avenue which approaches the private gated entrance and forecourt area to the front of the house. Killinvoy House is a two-storey over basement building dating from about 1825 and is listed as a protected structure. While the house would require some refurbishment to bring it back to its former glory, works have been carried out over the years including repair works to the roof around 2013. The accommodation extends to about 256 sq m / 2,755 sq ft in total.

Limestone steps lead up to the front of the house with double doors which open into the entrance hall with a high ceiling and original timber staircase. The main reception rooms are accessed off the hallway, including the living room and drawing room which are generously sized, with both offering fireplaces, sash and cash windows and coving. There is a print room located off the drawing room.

The kitchen / breakfast room is toward the back of the house and is an inviting space featuring an island and a Rayburn cooker. On the first floor there is the master bedroom and three further bedrooms. There is also a bathroom on this level.

A basement level is accessed from a back service stairs and comprises four large storerooms. Between 1994 and 2002, the basement area was the home of award-winning artisan food products with jams, jellies and chutneys being produced by a small team of local people.

Internal features include original fireplaces, flooring, ceiling roses and cornicing.

Gardens & Grounds
A key feature of Killinvoy House is the beautiful gardens and grounds. They are mainly laid out in lawns and enclosed by mature trees adding privacy and a buffer.

There is a fruit and vegetable garden set to the rear of the house which can produce an abundance of fresh food for the house. In total the grounds extend to about 2.40 acres / 0.97 hectare in total.

Outbuildings
The outbuildings at Killinvoy House comprise a range of traditional stone-cut outbuildings which are currently used for storage. These buildings could suit a range of uses and could be converted subject to the appropriate planning permission. A log cabin offers flexible accommodation.

History
Bought by the current owner in 1993, the house previously served as a Glebe House associated with the former Church of Ireland in Knockcroghery. The outbuildings formerly served as a Sunday School for the local Church of Ireland community during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Following Sunday service, attendees flocked to the Glebe House for tea, bread, and jam in the gardens.

During the burning of Knockcroghery village in 1921, the house was a place of refuge for families who fled from their burning homes. The locals ran through the fields and sought refuge on Hangman’s Hill, the ominously named stony ridge which protects the village from the easterly winds sweeping in from Lough Ree. The incumbent rector, Canon Humphries provided food, clothing, and shelter to those whose homes were razed to the ground. Among those sheltered here was Canon Kelly, the local Catholic priest, who had escaped through the fields from his burning house was accommodated in the rectory and hidden in a back room for fear of further attack. Everyone felt safe in the knowledge that the rectory could not be seen from the village. Irish revolutionary republican, George Plant, a protestant activist, is also said to have found refuge here during the civil war, before fleeing the country in 1924.

Historic Building Listing
Killinvoy House is listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a protected structure (Reference number: 31818004).

Local Information
Killinvoy House is located beside the village of Knockcroghery which offers amenities including a primary school and great pubs. A local amenity is the clay pipe visitor centre which is located on the original site of the last pipe factory in Ireland.

The N61 road connects Knockcroghery to both Roscommon (10 km) and Athlone (21 km) which provide a full range of amenities and services. Athlone Town is located on the southern shore of Lough Ree in the centre of Ireland adjoining the Westmeath-Roscommon border. The town is home to a wide variety of national attractions, festivals, food, craft and music with a rich heritage in the surrounding area including the ruins at Clonmacnoise and Athlone Castle. The Hodson Bay Hotel (17 km) is nearby and is a luxury lakeside hotel nestled on the shores of Lough Ree with the adjoining Baysports providing a wide range of water sports and the largest floating water park in Ireland.

Roscommon Town (10 km) offers a range of shopping, services, hotels, cafes restaurants and other amenities while further shopping options are available Athlone including Golden Island shopping centre and Athlone Towncentre.

Galway City (102 km) comprises an abundance of restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, professional services and a variety of boutiques and retail stores. Galway is famous for being the festival capital of Ireland and was named as one of the world’s top cities for travellers in 2020 by Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet describes Galway as “arguably Ireland’s most engaging city, where brightly painted pubs heave with live music and cafes offer front-row seats to watch buskers perform”.

Portrunny Harbour (5.5 km) is nearby with a marina, floating jetty and mooring facilities for boats. Lough Ree is renowned for boating, fishing, and water sports. For golfers, there is the nearby Roscommon Golf Club (10 km) while there are championship courses at Glasson Golf Club (34 km) and Mount Temple Golf Club (35 km) within a short drive.

Educational options include the local primary school in Knockcroghery while there is a choice of secondary schools in both Roscommon and Athlone. Technological University of the Shannon (26 km) is located in Athlone.

Transportation links are excellent with the N61 road connecting to the N6 motorway (Junction 12) which is 20 km distant and connects Galway (100 km) and Dublin (150 km).

BER Details
Exempt