Co Offaly: €1.5m:The sporting family that grew up in this castellated Georgian house has won many prizes, as has the produce from the farm here, writes Kate McMorrow
Since the 1970s Busherstown House has been a much-loved family home for Prue and David Rudd, who traded in their suburban lifestyle to establish a piggery in the grounds of a Georgian house in Moneygall, Co Offaly.
The 836sq m (9,000 sq ft) country house stands on 10 acres of paddocks and gardens, off the N11 and close to the Co Tipperary border.
Rudd's home-cured bacon, puddings and sausages won national acclaim and some of their nine children joined the business over the years.
With the children grown up, the Rudds are reluctantly leaving Busherstown House and downsizing to something more manageable in the locality.
Colliers Jackson-Stops is quoting €1.5 million for the seven-bedroom main house, restored three-bedroom coach house, studio with a professional kitchen and the 10 acres of paddock and gardens.
Social life on the Offaly/Tipperary border tends to gravitate towards sport and the Rudd's nine children had an idyllic childhood. David ran the local pony club and son Tom grew up to become a champion jockey. Former jockey Kate was a contestant on the ITV programme Gladiators and is a champion track cyclist.
Daughter Emma and her husband farm nearby. Andrew imports gourmet food and Simon has joined the family business. The Rudds brand was sold some time ago and the family now markets its produce under the label Prue & Simon's.
Built by the Minchen family on the site of an old O'Carroll castle, Busherstown House passed out of their hands in 1973 when the Rudds embarked on their lifestyle change. Later, they discovered that a Rudd ancestor had married the Minchen who built Busherstown House, a coincidence that explained their instant sense of belonging when they arrived, says David.
The house sits behind its stone entrance off the N11 Dublin/Lim-erick Road, eight miles from Roscrea and 85 miles from Dublin. A new carriageway soon to be built will bypass this road.
At the end of a tree-lined driveway, the first glimpse of Busherstown House is impressive, with ivy-covered walls and a romantic turreted castlelation.
While the interior is comfortably furnished and has rich original cornicing and fireplaces, money will need to be spent on wiring, some roof repairs and installing central heating according to a survey by conservation architect James Howley. That said, the surroundings of Busherstown are magical and the house and guest cottages would make an inviting country house hotel with a cash injection.
Past the tiled porch, a vast reception hall is enhanced by ornate cornicing, arched niche and window seat.
There is a sittingroom, drawingroom and formal diningroom, all with original marble fireplaces and decorative ceiling plasterwork. A big country kitchen with an oil-fired Aga is at the heart of the house and off this are a pantry, wine cellar, cloakroom and office.
Upstairs, most of the seven bedrooms are of manorial proportions, with two en suite bathrooms and two further family bathrooms. There are period fireplaces in three bedrooms and one room has a walk-in dressingroom.
Recently renovated, the three-bedroom coach house has two bathrooms, open-plan livingroom and a kitchen. Restored at the same time, the 167sq m (1,800sq ft) studio has a catering kitchen and cloakroom.
