Pioneering Scandi home in Meath is now two homes in one

Asking price: €995,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Geraghty (01) 835 0577 ​When Cragroe, a timber-framed home in Ashbourne, Co Meath, was built in 1985, it was something of a rarity. Although timber-framed houses have long been common across Europe, and particularly Scandinavia, they’re not traditional in Ireland. Historical deforestation and a scarcity of high-quality construction timber, combined with the damp Irish climate and high importation costs, led to our tradition of building homes with stone and concrete.

Pioneering Scandi home in Meath is now two homes in one. Asking price: €995,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Geraghty (01) 835 0577 ​When Cragroe, a timber-framed home in Ashbourne, Co Meath, was built in 1985, it was something of a rarity. Although timber-framed houses have long been common across Europe, and particularly Scandinavia, they’re not traditional in Ireland. Historical deforestation and a scarcity of high-quality construction timber, combined with the damp Irish climate and high importation costs, led to our tradition of building homes with stone and concrete. Patricia Corcoran, owner of Cragroe. Photo: Bryan Meade But from the 1990s, regulatory changes and the need for techniques to build homes faster caused them to become widespread. In 1992, they accounted for 5pc of new homes, jumping to 20pc by 2008. These days, around half...