Mountjoy Square, one of the capital’s five Georgian squares, is home to some of the finest period buildings in the city. Of the five, it is said to be the only one that is truly square in shape, measuring 134m along each of its equal sides.
It is also the most densely populated in residential terms, with an estimated 1,000 people living there, in original houses or purpose-built flats, according to figures released by the local lobby group, the Mountjoy Square Society, a decade ago, at about the same time that its railed park and grounds were designated as an architectural conservation area.
Past residents have included the playwright Sean O’Casey, who lived at No 35, and Arthur Guinness, who died at a house on the square.
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The original buildings have fine period features and lovers of period properties on relatively small budgets should check out numberNo 5, an entrance-hall flat on the north side of the square that is being brought to the market seeking €295,000 through agents City Homes. The property offers prospective buyers the opportunity to secure a rather lovely slice of our Georgian heritage for the price of a bog-standard apartment.
No 5 is an own-door entrance property with access to the accommodation on the levels above it through the house next door, No 6. The townhouses from No 4 through No 8 all belonged at one time to the same owner and have been converted into multi-unit dwellings.
No 5, for its part, has period features aplenty. It opens into a large entrance hall and through to a very fine drawing room. Both have decorative plasterwork, ceiling heights of almost 3.6m and the living room is washed in light by a pair of six-over-six pan sash windows that are single-glaze. There are polished timber floorboards underfoot and a flame-effect fire set into a marble surround.
Off this fine front room is a separate but internal kitchen with painted timber units set out in an L shape. The ceiling height has been dropped somewhat as have the ceiling levels in the bedrooms but not so low as to feel in any way claustrophobic.
The two double bedrooms are to the back of the house, bisecting the property’s original bowed room. Each has a separate access off the kitchen and a large six-over-six single-glazed sash window that brings in plenty of light. They overlook a shared green space, which can be accessed via No 6 and is where the communal bins for all the units in Nos 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are stored. This green space is shared with Belvedere Square, a group of late-1990s-built townhouses that are accessed via Belvedere Court.
It is charming but there are a few things to consider before buying. In addition to having single glazing, the unit has electric heating, although gas-fired radiators also remain in place. The agent says you will need to install a boiler to reinstate the gas and it’s not clear where the boiler lived before. The fact that the unit is BER-exempt leaves the potential buyer without any guidance as to how cold the place might be in winter, although there should be some degree of solar gain through the large windows in the living room.
It is also worth noting that 14m (151sq ft) of the apartment’s generous 86sq m (925sq ft) is taken up by its impressive entrance hall. It might make sense to try and move the kitchen here but whether this is permitted given the property’s designation as a protected structure will require further investigation. Alternatively this underutilised space could become a very smart home office.
The unit comes to the market without any parking, and with parking around the square relatively limited. There are, however, a slew of bus stops on your doorstep, while O’Connell Street is mere minutes away and Connolly Station less than a 10-minute walk.
The property has previously rented at €26,400 per annum, representing an annual return of 8.9 per cent. Most recently it has been rented for €1,800 per month. The annual management fee is about €1,750.
