Fourpenny Rock House
Quirky Cottage in the Countryside
Book This HomeCounty Kilkenny
Developed from the bones of a cottage project, this spacious single-storey riverside residence enjoys completely unique views across the River Nore. With crenulated roof lines and semi-hexagonal bay windows everywhere, this home is extravagant and lush.
Half way between Waterford and Kilkenny, and just an hour from the Rosslare ferry, it’s perfect for private events and family gatherings.
Points, Plaster and Corbels
Flamboyant Gothic Ogee arched windows characterize the curious brick façade, in contrast to the main entrance and driveway.
The hexagonal entrance lobby has elaborate arches, cornices and plasterwork that typify this home.
A wonderful reception room lies directly ahead through a pair of arched doors, with a spectacular pastoral view through a triptych of French doors flanked by two fully-draped floor to ceiling sash windows.
The house is centrally heated, but plenty of fire wood is supplied for the two wood-burning stoves.
AT A GLANCE
- Sleeps
Up to 8 guests
From €1,895 per week - Bedrooms
Two double bedrooms – 1 ensuite
One twin bedroom
two single bedrooms
One Bathroom + one showeroom - Other Rooms
Sitting room
Kitchen / Dining room
Drawing room
Entrance Lobby, Utility room - Features
Two wood-burning stoves
Terraced Garden
Tennis Court
River frontage - Contempo
Flat screen TV, fast WiFi internet
Good Cell phone reception
Opposing corridors, tiled in Classic Victorian octagon style, lead from the entrance lobby.
To one side is an expansive living room, with a bay of three vivid pointy-arch windows, generous sofas, a broad TV, and a second wood-burning stove set into a black marble hearth.
Brilliant full height windows are a feature of the house throughout.
Facilities & Ameneties
Kitchen Appliances
• Electric cooker with 2 ovens and 4 rings
• Twin-door fridge-freezer, with water dispenser
• Dishwasher
• Twin Toaster
• Microwave
Utility Appliances
• Washing machine
• Tumble dryer
• Iron
Bedrooms
• Sizes – One King-size & one double bed
• Two singles & one Children’s bed
• 2 Hairdryers
Tech & Entertainment
• Wi-Fi Internet
• large Flat-screen TV
• Netflix
Other
• Tennis Court
• Enclosed play area
• Fishing by arrangement
A broad archway connects the adjacent kitchen and dining area, with its inclusive curved central preparation island.
French doors at the end open onto a sunny enclosed area, with all-weather grass surface – safe for little ones and pets.
A single door from the living room gives access to the terrace-with-a-view, while twin doors, up a step, reveal a substantial utility room; nicely suited for larger scale catering as required.
Bedrooms
An accommodation wing at this end of the house has an indulgent double bedroom, a matching twin room and a cosy kid’s room.
The three share a totally tiled shower room.
The sumptuous master bedroom suite at the far end of the house enjoys a dual aspect, split level design, allowing for a flagged bay with occasional chairs, more ogee windows and that spectacular view.
The comprehensive ensuite bathroom has a walk -in shower and a full bath.
Adjacent to the suite, in yet another hexagonal radiant space, is a charming single bedroom.
A wonderful cobalt and white tiled bathroom off the corridor has a delightfully minimal but deep bath with shower.
Outside
The curved private driveway passes the all-weather tennis court en route to the house, where there is ample brick paved parking around three sides.
To the South-West a stunning zig-zag of brick terraced steps, embellished with urns, cascades down across lawns to the River Nore.
Provisional Booking Form
This Home is normally only let by the week, for the moment,
Important – A Week’s booking runs from Saturday to Saturday
Christmas and New Year are high season as above, for other Public holidays – please apply for rates.
Special social events or gatherings may attract an additional fee.
Please be sure to check with us in advance.
A refundable breakages deposit payable with the rental amount will be refunded within seven days of departure.
| Per week | Weekend | Mid-week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| June to August | €2,950 | Not Available | Not Available |
| September and May | €2,250 | €1,400 | €1,400 |
| October to April | €1,895 | €1,250 | €1,250 |
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Your travel arrangements are important, so all provisional bookings are double checked with the owners to ensure that your plans do not conflict with theirs, this can take up to 24 hours, but we haven’t forgotten about you.!
Provisional bookings will be followed up by email, at which point we can answer specific queries you may have, verify your booking and request a deposit to confirm.
Please note that all unconfirmed provisional bookings will expire after 3 days.
If your preferred dates are not available, please click here to review all houses that match your dates.
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Out & About
This region has a rich and ancient heritage of Dukes and Earls, Bishops and brewing.
There’s so much to taste and see, we just can’t list them all.
Jerpoint Abbey
Festivals and Events
- August – Kilkenny Arts Festival
- April /May – Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival
- October – Savour Kilkenny Festival of Food
- June – Cat Laughs Comedy Festival
Here are some of our favourites…
- Mount Juliet perfect fairways
- Potter around the Nicholas Mosse pottery
- Wander around Kilfane gardens and waterfall
- Climb up Mount Leinster
- Dine a la Campagne
- Take a tour around Smithwicks brewery
- Go down a cave at Dunmore
- Go below on a famine ship
- Trace your Kilkenny roots
- The Centre for Craft and Design
- Paddle past Fourpenny Rock
- Get your heart galloping at Gowran park
- Pop into the Left Bank for a pint
- Cycle along the Nore
- Go gardening at Woodstock
The Locality
Thomastown at 5km upstream is the nearest town to the house. There are two large supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and a selection of craft shops to browse.
At one stage there were 12 water-powered mills, for grain and cloth, working locally. Several mills can still be seen upstream from the bridge in Thomastown.
Fourpenny Rock House gets its name from a toll that was levied on the flat-bottom boats known as Cots that transported goods along the River Nore to the ports of Ross and Waterford, and were obliged to pass a particular rock below the house.
Dysart Castle, on the opposite side of the river, was the birth place of George Berkeley. George, the eponymous philosopher of Berkeley University California, was active in the first half of the 18th century.
The medieval city of Kilkenny – 25km distant – is often referred to as the Marble City due to its unique black marble mining. It is the smallest city in Ireland.
image Kilkenny-castle Sabrina O’Brien
Work on Kilkenny Castle was begun in 1204 and took 9 years to complete. The Castle became the seat to the Butler family, a very powerful dynasty who lived there until 1935.
Lady Margaret Butler who was born there, was the grandmother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England.
St Canice’s Cathedral with its Round Tower were founded in the 6th century – Cill Channigh (pr. Kil-kenny) is the Gaelic for the Church of Canice. The Round Tower – one of only two that people can climb in Ireland – is the city’s oldest building, with excellent views for those brave enough to reach the top.
The highest air temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F), at Kilkenny Castle on 26 June 1887.
The extensive ruins of Jerpoint Abbey – 6km from the house – is another ecclesiastical site notable for its stone carvings. Built in 1180, it survived till Henry the VIII got hold of it during the period of the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1500’s.
photo Suckindiesel
A replica famine ship, the Dunbrody, is now berthed on the quay in New Ross and offers visitors an insight into life as a passenger during the 19th century when emigration to America was at its peak.
It was from a farm here in New Ross that President John F. Kennedy’s great-grandfather emigrated to America in 1848 on just such a ship.
June 1963 President Kennedy’s trip to Ireland.
How to get there – Car advised..
By Air: Flights to Dublin or Shannon airports.
Shannon Airport – approx 2 and half hours from house.
Dublin Airport – approx 2 hours from house.
Cork Airport – approx 2 and a half hours from house.
By Sea: Ferry crossings
Rosslare Port is approx 1 hour from house, with ferries to South Wales
Dublin City Port/Holyhead has a fast crossing and is approx 2 hours from house
Map
Gallery
