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Vine-clad Victorian gate lodge in the countryside going for €350k
Forgney Lodge was built by Co Longford’s wealthiest family in the 19th century.
THE KING-HARMAN family may not be the most well-known nationally, but for a time in the 1800s, they were the wealthiest family in Co Longford.
The family of landlords and politicians sat at Newcastle House, using Forgney Lodge as their gate house, according to The Irish Times. Nowadays, it’s a three-bedroom home set on almost two acres of land, and with a starting price of just €350,000.
Thankfully, Forgney Lodge has had something of a makeover since the 1800s, though the subsequent owners have skilfully retained the Georgian features.
Spread over a single storey, the centrepiece of the lodge is its atrium, a glazed room that overlooks the internal courtyard and lights up the entire home.
The dining room, reception hall and drawing room all house fireplaces, though there’s oil-fired central heating here, too. Forgney Lodge also has its own well and treatment system, giving you your very own water supply.
The three bedrooms all have built-in wardrobes, and while the current owners use one room as a study, it could easily be converted back to a sleeping space if needed.
Forgney Lodge is a woodland hideaway that’s just a 15-minute walk from Ballymahon, which was dubbed Longford’s fastest growing town by The Longford Leader last year.
Amenities in the area include several schools, shops, restaurants and, for the literary types, the birthplace of renowned playwright Oliver Goldsmith.
Though it feels like a private paradise, Forgney Lodge isn’t isolated at all: it’s a half-hour drive to Athlone and Mullingar, two of the larger towns in the midlands area.
If you want to take a spin to Dublin, it’s a 90-minute commute by car via the M4, or a train from Longford town.
Forgney Lodge, Ballymahon, Co. Longford is on sale for €350,000 from Savills Dawson Street via Daft.ie.
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