Live the high life in Liffey lookout for €300k

Isolde’s Tower was one of the first wave of 1990s apartment blocks to be built in Temple Bar. The development on the quarter’s west side, hidden off Essex Quay, is so-called because the remains of a 13th-century tower, part of the Dublin city walls, was discovered 8m down on the site.

It was considered one of the first lines of defence against invaders coming up the Liffey, and remains on view, albeit behind a grille. Its maintenance is factored into the management fees of the buildings. It gives the development a sense of place that is absent from many of its contemporaries.

Behind a strong, fortified timber door, accessed from Exchange Street Lower, the development is set in blocks around a private courtyard with the block overlooking Parliament Street incorporating historic buildings that date from the 1800s.

Block A is a new build that overlooks the river Liffey to the north. No 10 is a small, top-floor, two-bedroom apartment that has a balcony running the length of the property and offers the most gorgeous views of the river Liffey as well as the landmark buildings on the city’s northside – at least when you are standing up.

The balcony is designed like a battlement in that you won’t see a thing if seated at a bistro table. It requires you to stand to command its attention.

The view is also apparent from the bar stools at the kitchen counter, where the units are set in a U shape and painted a battleship grey.

The room includes a living area, and there is space for a small fold-down dining table but perhaps a little reconfiguration here would make better use of the space.

The ceiling heights throughout are good, extending to almost 3m, which makes its 43sq m/469sq ft seem bigger than it is. The large windows in each room also wash the place in light.

The master bedroom has good built-in wardrobe storage but the second bedroom is neat and without any built-in storage. There is a good-size hall where you could add storage and shelving for books and objects and it is lit from above by a round roof light.

There is no lift in the building, and it is heated using storage and electric heaters, so some upgrades are required.

However, if centrality with a sense of privacy is what you’re after the property has that in spades and is asking €300,000 through agents Felicity Fox.