Then 12 years ago young couple Declan and Lesley Doyle bought the property.

"It was a lovely old cottage which had been extended in the 1960s, to add another three bedrooms, but being an old extension, the design and quality wasn't what we were looking for, " explains Declan. "But we lived there for five years before deciding to make any changes. We got an architect to design a large extension of (2,000sq ft) to add to the original 600sq ft cottage. But we had to be very careful to make it as unobtrusive as possible, particularly from the front view."

The couple wanted a spacious and bright family home but they also wanted to be sympathetic to the original cottage, explaining that relatives of the old owners still live locally and were able to fill them in on the character of the cottage in the past.

"We decided on 9ft ceilings, shuttered windows and a lot of terracotta flooring throughout to add a sense of the old character, " says Lesley, who did most of the interior design.

"We heard about twin brothers, the Bulfins from Roscrea, who specialised in making old country kitchens, so we got in touch with them, and just love the kitchen they made for us. And when it came to the garden, we wanted to make some changes but we didn't want to disturb most of the mature plants and trees laid by the former owners, who had put a lot of effort in over the years, " explains Lesley.

A large home by any standards, Rowan Hill has a floor area of 242sq m (2600sq ft), and accommodation comprises a hall, kitchen, utilityroom, familyroom, breakfastroom, living cum diningroom, five bedrooms, one en-suite, shower-room, bathroom and converted attic room.

Presented in excellent condition, new owners only have to walk in and hang their hat.

From the large terracottatiled hall, steps lead down to what is definitely the heart of this home, the kitchen, a large eat-in room with countrystyle presses and units and black granite worktops, tiled flooring, recessed lighting and breakfast counter.

Just off the kitchen is a comfortable familyroom, again with terracotta flooring, solid fuel burner and sliding patio doors onto a south-facing balcony.

An archway connects the familyroom to the breakfastroom, which also has great views of the garden, while double doors with stainedglass inlay open into a spacious living/diningroom, where there is a large fireplace, and double doors out to a decked sun patio.

At ground level there are two double bedrooms and one single room, all with oak flooring, and a showerroom, while upstairs the large master bedroom has oak flooring, an en-suite bathroom, recessed lighting, under eaves storage and sliding patio doors out to a large sun balcony. The second bedroom upstairs also has oak flooring and is currently used as a nursery, but could make a comfortable home office, while the upstairs bathroom has a step-in shower and freestanding cast-iron bath.

The gardens are mainly laid in lawn with dozens of mature trees and flower beds, while a walkway leads down to a cedar decked area which is very sheltered. The property has electric gates and off-street parking for a couple of cars. Other features include oil-fired central heating, security intercom and monitored alarm system.

Nearby areas include Sandyford and Dundrum.

"We'll miss this house, as it's been a lovely home for us, but we both love building and renovation work and have a new project not too far away to get stuck into, " adds Lesley.

Price: 1.8m Agent: Sherry FitzGerald, 01-2961822