There is nothing conventional or conformist at 9 Hillsborough on Model Farm Road, which is fine as the women who live there also eschew tradition.
They are Margaret, Sheila and Una Paye, each a trailblazer in their own way, and all linked to the history of the school known to generations of Cork students as “Doc Paye’s School”.
On the corner of Washington Street and South Street in the late 1960s, Margaret opened a private school that was quite avant-garde at the time, a science-oriented “senior cycle” college, when getting a diploma was not so important. student life right now.
A family friend of the sisters recalled how they attended school and encouraged the boys to continue their studies to the diploma level with an emphasis on science.
He compares this to today’s encouragement for girls to take STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects in their final exams.
The sisters are gifted with science. Margaret transcended traditional gender boundaries by earning her PhD in biochemistry in the late 1950s, while her sister Sheila received a master’s degree in chemistry.
Along the way, Margaret caught the attention of Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger, who was working in Dublin in the 1940s. A family friend said he invited her to join him in Vienna, but instead she agreed to work in the laboratory of the White Gate refinery. Given the recent revelations that Schrödinger was a pedophile, it looks like she made the right choice.
After a decade of bones at Whitegate, Margaret opened the college, known as “Doc Pei” but officially Trinity College, in downtown Cork in 1968.
It started as a high school focused on science teaching and then expanded to offer science courses for Pre-Med and Pre-Dent students who wanted to study medicine or dentistry at UCC.
Margaret’s sister Una (Agnes) worked as an accountant at a factory in Corkford, and after the car factory closed in the late 80s, she worked at a school with her siblings where she was in charge of bookkeeping and the library.
In 1989, Margaret expanded to offer A-levels for those who wished to enter the UK’s top colleges and founded the so-called Cork Law School, offering an introductory course in law and politics. Following the practice of the University of London, she also offers a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) course at an external college of the University of London.
The success of these courses encouraged her to further expand her business, and in 1990 she began courses to prepare students for training at Blackhall Place as a lawyer.
For those wondering what motivated scientists to enter the law, this family friend offers some information. Looking through her papers, he found a document that suggested a possible connection with David R. Pigott, a highly competent judge of the mid-1800s who, in 1846, became the first convicted Catholic judge to be appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland. Margaret’s family tree shows that Pigot was married to a woman named Pei.
“People wonder why someone with a degree in biochemistry might be interested in law, so the interest might already be in the family,” the friend said.
In fact, Margaret was an erudite personality who was interested in almost everything, even the design of her own model roadside farmhouse, as unique as herself.
Built in 1973, a family friend credits the house’s design with years of holiday in Spain.
“In the 1950s and 1960s, the family went on vacation to Palma de Maggiora and no one was going there, and I think you can see an element of that on the porch and balcony above,” he said.
The front facade is designed so that if it is divided in the middle, then on one side you will see a solid red brick, and on the other – a white Spanish-style villa with an open veranda and a balcony. Ornate Georgian windows blend in with the side walls and even on the porch walls.
Of course, you will not see such an entrance in house number 9 before, when you cross the threshold.
In fact, you can’t call it a hallway. It’s more like a foyer with dramatic elements competing for your attention, starting with the 70′s classic, a rather wide and tall glass block wall that allows light to enter the dining room from behind. In addition, there is a large raised open fireplace on a distinctive stone wall and a dramatic L-shaped staircase with ornate balustrades leading up to the mezzanine.
This is an enchanting space with a 70s retro accent, and the effect is enhanced by a series of tall mirrors on the stair wall that enhance the depth of the room. The look may be dated, but it’s still impressive, and as the automaker will tell you, nostalgia is welcome.
The 218 square meter house is unique because, as her family and friends say, Margaret is a woman with ideas, and the house is another medium in which she can express herself. A truly striking feature is the solarium, an open-plan formal dining room flanked by elegant Georgian windows (seven in total) and a fabulous round fixed-frame skylight.
Windows make a big difference in this home – each bathroom has a skylight located in the wall next to the roof line, providing privacy and letting in light. They are also used in the kitchen, away from the dining area and where the kitchen has two Georgian windows overlooking the garden.
The very large living room goes deep into the house with a massive decorative wall above a raised spruce. As in the solarium and dining room, beams run the entire length of the ceiling.
The top floor is also outdated, but all the bedrooms have beautiful curved wooden doors (they are found throughout the house) and views from the Georgian windows. The front bedroom has a bathroom with a unique double door that you would be hard to find these days.
Unfortunately, the balcony in the front bedroom is only accessible through a window, but the new owner could fix that.
The back bedrooms overlook the garden and one of them has an en-suite leading from the master bedroom to the master bathroom with a large bathtub and oversized vanity.
The ceiling-mounted spotlights are big enough for stage productions, and the 70s tiles are big enough for a Stanley Kubrick movie.
House number 9 is located in a beautiful area with a picturesque facade with mature flowers and shrubs and off street parking on a gravel driveway.
The interior is south facing, fully fenced and very private, with many trees forming a huge canopy on one side of the lawn.
Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald, sales agent, described No. 9 as “a magnificent four-bedroom home in a niche complex in one of Cork’s most exclusive residential areas”. Of course, this is not a typical urban residential area. All houses in the Hillsborough area are single, none of them are small, and all have large gardens. This 0.4 acre property is peaceful and green.
Inniskara is visible from the front, with a gravel road and parking for several cars. Another feature of the No 9 is access to the back. The walls on either side of the house extend to the boundary of the property, with double doors on one side for the passage of vehicles and double doors on the other.
Ms. Healy said No. 9 “takes full advantage of its beautiful countryside while remaining centrally located in the city.” This central position means it’s ideal for anyone working at University Hospital Cork, Munster University of Technology or UCC. Bishopstown and Ballincollig are nearby, while Cork city center is a 15-minute drive.
Ms. Healy described No 9 as a “property full of great style and personality” that seemed to go well with the Pei sisters, known for their glamorous honeycomb attire and commitment to academic gowns, during the closing of Doc Paye’s in March 2012, when Rita is retiring.
Retirement has given her more time to pamper one of her pets – take care of her dog. In fact, she and her sisters were dog show judges and they always had dogs, the family friend said. They also cared for their mother, who moved from their home on Laburnum Lawn after their father (Charlie Pay, County Football Championship and Munster Railroad Cup medal winner with Fermoy in 1911) died in the 1960s. . She remained number 9 until her death in the early 80s.
Their caring nature and unconventional lifestyle were reflected in their decision to leave the significant proceeds from the sale of this home (825,000 euros, valued by Ms Healey at 825,000 euros) to a beloved charity.
Ms Healy said it was “a very special property on beautiful private grounds” that will attract a large number of buyers, including those looking to move to Cork from home and abroad.
VERDICT: A home that required investment and greatly improved its G energy rating, but also a home that deserves respect for its very nature and the history that goes with it. Attractions include the location and size of Demonstration Road Farm. Unique trading opportunity.
Post time: Oct-22-2022