The Glebe, a six-bedroom Georgian house on a hilltop just off the old Balbriggan Road outside the village of Balrothery in north Co Dublin, goes on the market today. Located 14 miles from the city centre, the 3,400 sq ft house is expected to make over £700,000 at auction through Ganly Walters on March 7th.
The Glebe has been home to local doctor James Reilly, his wife, make-up artist Dorothy Reilly, and their five young children for the last nine years. Built in 1815 for the princely sum of £750, this two-storey over basement property was built for Balrothery church, which is at the far end of the driveway.
The house is approached by a tree-lined driveway leading up to an entrance porch with two feature windows. This opens in to a bright hallway painted a muted yellow which reflects the light that pours in through a very large window at the top of the first return.
Floorboards are stripped throughout the hall and the staircase has been painstakingly stripped of layers of paint to reveal its original honey pine tones. To the left of the hall is the drawingroom, a bright room with both south and west facing windows, grey marble fireplace, picture rail and cornice. Directly opposite is the diningroom, which has a black marble fireplace with cast-iron and brick inset, and windows facing both south and east which provide more than enough light.
One of the reception rooms has been converted into a study area which James uses as an office: solid oak cupboards and shelves have been installed in addition to a small sink.
Upstairs, the bedrooms are spacious and all overlook the mature grounds. The main bedroom has an en suite shower room plus dressing area, and plenty of wardrobe space. Nearly all the windows in the house come complete with working wooden shutters.
The basement kitchen is the heart of the home and caters for a busy family life. Heating for the house is provided by the oil-fired Super Stanley which warms a number of rooms. The actual cooking space is confined to a small area. There is also a separate family room that the children use as their sittingroom, in addition to two double bedrooms.
Outside, a large courtyard has a converted coach-house with a snooker table and a den area for the children; a pot-bellied stove provides the heating. There are two further bedrooms and a shower room for any overspill from the main house.
The grounds include a formal walled garden with boxed hedges, wooded avenues and rear access to the village of Balrothery. The gardens are awash with colour in the springtime.
