Cottage with charm for €695,000

Gort-na-nÉan is a rare gem, rambling, deceptively spacious, a secret oasis, oozing with charm and character, and an ideal family home. That’s the thing about cliches – they become overused because they are true. Gort-na-nÉan sits behind a stone wall on the old Dublin Road from Shankill to Bray. There is a pedestrian gate, and a separate one for cars alongside. These do a better job of screening than you might think, and inside, you quickly forget you’re just off a fairly busy road (also a handy bus route into Dublin). The house itself is semi-detached. Once a coaching inn, the pair of houses then became a Garda Station and residence, and now this house is a simply lovely place to live.

Another, more recent, layer of history saw it sold off at an asking price of €1.25 million in 2008. It's now on offer through Sherry FitzGerald for €695,000 by private treaty. It's the usual story – the current owners have grown-up children, and don't need the four generous double bedrooms and the more than 200sq m (2,200sq ft) of accommodation.

Inside, the cottage-ey atmosphere is enhanced by sloping wooden ceilings upstairs, deeply recessed windows with working shutters, thick walls, fireplaces, and lots of stone and wood.

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The house wanders in a lovely way through study, large sittingroom (big enough to eat up a baby grand piano), family room, breakfast room, bright kitchen and utility room.

There’s also a sunroom, currently used as a dramatic diningroom that seats 10 easily.

There are nice touches matching old and new, such as the little LED lights, embedded at the side of the wooden staircase. This leads up to a wide landing. There’s a family bathroom, and the master bedroom is also en suite.

Outside is a patio, off-street parking, a grassy area, and it’s all completely enclosed, so children and dogs can run about in complete safety. Shankill has excellent primary schools – the annual Rathmichael School fete is a legend in the area.

The DART is very close, and the village shops are just across the road.

Cosy on a chilly Spring day, it’s just as easy to imagine Gort-na-nÉan in full summer – charming all year round.