There once was a time when a large, solid, family home in a quiet neighbourhood was within the reach of most successful professionals. But now the houses that were traditionally the residences of doctors, solicitors and bank managers have jumped out of that league and into the major millionaire category. Adare House, on Silchester Road, Glenageary, Co Dublin, is one such home. The detached three-storey house carries a guide price of £2 million in advance of the Lisney auction on May 26th. Built in 1860, the house, on half-an-acre of garden, is near the Adelaide Road end of Silchester Road, where St Paul's Church occupies the corner position. This stretch of houses is considered to be one of the best locations in south Dublin - the "Ailesbury Road" of Glenageary, according to the selling agents. The owners are moving to Vico Road where they are building a new house on a site overlooking Killiney Bay.
Adare House, which currently has six bedrooms, is a typical Victorian well-to-do home, embodying an era when lots of space was a prerogative rather than a luxury in a family residence of this class. Consequently, most of the rooms are big and airy with high ceilings and large windows, and there is no scrimping on hall space or ancillary rooms. There is decorative plasterwork throughout, and in some of the rooms there are good period mantels. The house is opulently decorated, and the elaborate silk drapes and picture-clad walls that feature in many rooms would have pleased the original Victorian owners.
On the hall floor, a marble-floored vestibule with stained-glass panels leads into an inner hallway. To one side, a long, double drawing-room, divided by an ornate arch, is perfectly positioned to catch the best of the morning sun. The front part, with a bay window overlooking the drive, faces almost exactly south, while the back part has a line of east-facing windows. Across the hall, there is a dining-room at the front, also with a bay window, while a study has three west-facing windows overlooking an outdoor swimming-pool.
This set of four rooms makes the house perfect for entertaining on various scales, with the butler's pantry (fitted with a mini-kitchen) and a lavatory in the rear return providing the essentials. Downstairs at garden level, there is a well-fitted kitchen, which leads into a large and comfortable family room at the front. A bedroom with an en suite shower room, a games room, utility room and lavatory make up the rest of this floor. There is also a conservatory with a sauna and shower room.
The remaining five bedrooms, most them en suite, are on the top floor and on the first floor return.
Outside, in a secure courtyard, there is a stable building and a garage. The 9.5-metre swimming-pool is also enclosed in a separate, almost Mediterranean area, making it safe for small children. A hard tennis court, lawns and a circular drive make up the rest of the property.
