Ballycommon cottage to feature on RTÉ television

An architect from Ballycommon who restored an old traditional Irish cottage to make it her own ideal home is to feature on RTÉ television.

Patti O’ Neill, who lives in the lovely little cottage just a stone’s throw from Lough Derg in the townland of Carhue, is to feature on the popular RTÉ programme, Cheap Irish Homes.

The RTÉ One programme is fronted by Maggie Molloy who has one of the toughest jobs in Ireland - as the perpetually-chipper host of the programme. She travels around the country trying to find reasonably priced properties for buyers on a budget.

When the show first aired five years ago, many buyers were adamant that they wanted to live in the hustle and bustle of the city, leaving a spate of countryside homes on offer.

As time goes on, though, perspectives are undoubtedly changing and homes in rural areas are becoming increasingly popular.

The segment of the series featuring Pattie and her house is being aired on Thursday next,  October 10, at 7pm.

Patti who has her own company, O’ Neill Architecture, completed an extension to the cottage about two years ago. The entire property is lime rendered, the thatch on the roof has been renewed and the garden fully in bloom.

“My reasoning for going on the programme is to show people that all you need is a pad to create your own palace,” Pattie told The Guardian.

“With personal involvement in the building process and a step-by-step approach you can also keep the budget down so that you can earn as you build.”

Pattie said she spent a total of eight years restoring and extending the cottage “with a break in between”.