This couple weren’t afraid to put a colourful stamp on former retreat of novelist Thomas Campbell Black
Asking price: €1.65m
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes (01) 2376300
When Harry Whelehan and his wife, Rachel Meagher, added their organic swimming pool – what they call the ‘fifth element’ of their Co Offaly home – the house finally felt complete.
“The organic outdoor pool turned it into a house for all seasons. Up until then, it had always been a great winter house, full of fireplaces and cosy rooms for entertaining. Now it became a summer home too, perfect for barbecues, outdoor gatherings and lazy afternoons by the water,” says Whelehan.
Harry Whelehan and Rachel Meagher
Organic pools, which have been growing in popularity in Ireland, use plants and natural filtration rather than chlorine. “We saw the organic pools designed by Cathal O’Meara, a landscape architect in Co Cork, and really liked the idea of it, so we got him to build ours,” he says. “We missed the sea here in the middle of Ireland [Harry is from Greystones], but once the pool came along, it fulfilled our desire for water.”
The pool has two zones: one for swimming, and a regeneration zone filled with aquatic plants, gravel and filters. “Rachel swims year-round, while I usually brave it in summer. The water is from our own spring, so it’s pure and chemical-free.”
The couple bought the house in 2004. “At that point, we were a young family with one baby and a second on the way,” he says. “We had looked around in Sandymount for a house with a budget around €700,000, but didn’t find anything and wanted to get out of Dublin.”
Whelehan’s father, former attorney general Harry Whelehan, had a holiday home in Shinrone, so the couple knew the area. “The house had been on the market for a while-at the time and people weren’t that interested in taking on a lifestyle property.”
““The house is large but manageable – about 10,000 sq ft, with eight main bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, and fireplaces in almost every room, surrounded by 23.9 acres of land.”
The previous owner was the late Scottish author Thomas Campbell Black, who bought the property in the early 1990s. He often wrote as Campbell Armstrong, with 38 books including the novelisation of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, which he wrote in just 10 days.
The original Jacobean-style house was completed in 1850, but is on the site of a castle which was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. A small section of the house is still from the original structure.
“The house is large but manageable – about 10,000 sq ft, with eight main bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, and fireplaces in almost every room, surrounded by 23.9 acres of land,” Whelehan says.
“It’s a great house for entertaining – fabulous around Christmas time – it’s really atmospheric and cosy.”
The bathroom
Unlike many sprawling homes, Cangort House has not been a money pit. “Most of the upgrades to the house were aesthetic rather than structural. Some years we didn’t spend a penny, and in others we had things done. We were lucky the house was left in good shape,” says Whelehan.
The decor is characterised by the couple’s distinctive use of bold colours and eclectic pieces of statement furniture and art. “We peeled back to keep it simple, adding lots of bold colours into the rooms,” Meagher says.
Despite being mostly monotone when they first moved in, the couple stumbled on some 80s kitsch. “Our upstairs bathroom had an avocado-coloured jacuzzi and a pink carpet – it was like Dynasty on steroids.”
The organic pool
They sourced a vintage freestanding roll top bathtub locally and an Edwardian rectangular washstand, creating an elegant space with dark textures. If the house looks somewhat different inside, there’s one thing missing throughout.
“We actually don’t own curtains. I remember when we moved in, we were asked about curtains and how many we would need, but we never got any,” she says. The effect is that the rooms look a lot more open.
As you enter into the hall, there’s access to the dining room, with its soaring ceilings, ornate cornicing, solid wood floors, marble fireplace and mullioned windows.
“The library is lined with bookshelves and leads into a bright, navy-painted drawing room with an Adam-style fireplace,” Whelehan says. “The panelled sitting room, with its view of the pool, is our everyday cosy space, while two adjoining studies have made working from home easy.
The entrance hall
“We recently refurbished the kitchen. It’s the epicentre of the house with a black-and-white marble floor, solid wood cabinetry, a large island with double Belfast sink, Smeg fridge, Stanley Rangemaster and a solid-fuel Stanley stove.
“We spend most of our time in the kitchen and the TV room, which has a UFO-style light from Willie Duggan Lighting – diffused bulbs that give off a soft, modern glow,” he adds.
The decor is eclectic across the house. “I picked up a lot of pieces in Notting Hill in London. The UK has some great furniture for big houses. Some design pieces include the Chesterfield chairs in the bedroom and a chair that looks like a giant cowboy boot in the hallway- a gift Whelehan gave his wife for Christmas.
The house itself has lots of character too. “The details are what make this place, like the fireplace halfway up the stairs, and the little corridor underneath it.
The kitchen
Zoned heating helps to keep costs down. “I did a fair bit of work myself. In the hallway I did double skirting, where you put one skirting board above another.”
“In 2020, during Covid, we built a basketball court, but in general, we don’t have to do too much. Obviously there’s always something to do in these houses, but the robo lawn mower helps.”
“We have zoned heating, so you can heat the kitchen, TV room and rooms we use, and then [leave] the other part of the house,” Whelehan says. “Obviously when guests come, we do the whole lot – it’s oil fired.”
Despite their passion for the house, it’s time to move on. “We’re very happy and very comfortable here, but our three children have flown the nest. It needs to be enjoyed by lots of people,” Meagher says.
“We have 14 stables; a walled garden; an infirmary; and there was an old church on the grounds, but it was blasted by storm Eowyn in January.”
“The house is right in the middle of Ireland. It’s close to Shinrone, which has a bakery, a primary school, an indoor tennis club and lots of amenities, and Birr and Roscrea,” Whelehan says.
“A lot of people avoid the Midlands, but we’re an hour from Limerick, Shannon, and just an hour and 15 minutes to the Red Cow in Dublin. We’re literally in the heart of Ireland.”
Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes seeks €1.65m.