Dublin 20 €680,000:In an industry awash with superlatives, Sunnybank really is unique, combining all the charm of a Georgian country house with a city location only five minutes from Heuston Station and the Phoenix Park, writes ALANNA GALLAGHER
SUNNYBANK ON St Martin’s Row in Chapelizod is a house with a history. This three-bedroom Georgian property is referenced in James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake and is the birthplace of Lord Northcliffe, founder of the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror.
Anyone who wants a home with bragging rights will love being able to drop these attributes into conversation. Plus, it boasts one of the best views in Dublin. Fronting onto the River Liffey the 2,000sq ft (186sq m) house has the best water feature this writer has seen.
The lawn runs down to the river bank where the soundtrack of the soft running water of the weir will lull you to sleep at night. In a business drowning in superlatives Sunnybank is unique.
Dating from 1846, the semi-detached house has an AMV of € 680,000 through agents Lisney. In a market where there is a chronic shortage of housing stock it will test house hunters’ appetite for acquisition.
The front door faces the river. There are two very fine reception rooms, one on either side of the hall, each a mirror image of the other. They have matching white marble fireplaces, three-metre high ceilings, intricate and ornate plaster work and cornicing.
A set of double doors leads from one into the very considered period-style conservatory. It was added 17 years ago and has become the main entrance into the house. Through the vaulted ceiling you can see a plaque commemorating the property’s mention on page 264 of Finnegan’s Wake in which Joyce writes: “By this riverside on our own sunnybank”.
The room has glazing on three sides – the fourth wall is formed from the stone boundary that divides the property from the road. The back of the house fronts onto the side of the street.
This new addition to Sunnybank gets the sun all day and is big enough to accommodate a dining table and a seated area. If you’re lucky one of the resident swans or ducks will glide by.
An open doorway leads from the dining area into the country-style kitchen. It’s not a huge room but big enough to accommodate a table for four and has built-in cabinets down both sides.
Compared to the bright and airy feel of the conservatory, the kitchen is on the dark side. There is also a large old-fashioned utility room and a guest toilet. There are bars on the downstairs toilet window.
Upstairs on the first floor return is a small family bathroom with a shower. Two steps lead up to the first of the three bedrooms.
On the first floor there are two lovely bedrooms overlooking the River Liffey. The master bedroom has a large, en suite bathroom that feels a bit dated but a simple tile job would modernise it.
They say you fall in love with a house. Sunnybank on St Martin’s Row in Chapelizod won’t suit everyone but offers a very seductive package.
It will bring out househunters who didn’t even know they were in the market for a home.
The photos don’t tell the full story. The hall isn’t anything like as wide as it appears in shot. However, neither do the pictures capture the wonderful atmosphere of the place. It feels like a country Georgian house transplanted to the edge of Dublin’s oldest village, where there is a local pub, a Spar and a post office. Several properties on the main street lie vacant.
As a throughway it has a very busy main street.
Despite having a Dublin 20 address, the house is a five-minute drive from Heuston Station, off-peak. During rush hour you could multiply the time that journey will take by three.
Parking is off-street. The property is gated. The Phoenix Park is across the street. Access is a five minute-walk. Nearby schools include Castleknock and Mount Sackville.
