Old-world charm in Co Kildare for €485,000

This charming Georgian house was built circa 1770 as a smaller version of the grand Palladian mansion Newberry Hall, located next door. The house has been home to Deirdre Kilkenny and her family since 2005, and now wishing to downsize, Deirdre has placed the house for sale through agents Ganly Walters with an asking price of €485,000.

Deirdre remembers the first time she drove up the driveway, “the impact it has on you is amazing, it is so far removed from the rest of the world, and the house has that lovely old- world feel.”

Deirdre undertook some restoration of the property, installing a new kitchen, rewiring and insulating the entire house, and renovating one of the stables.

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The property is in prime condition and all the original features have been well preserved over the past two centuries, including the coving and ceiling roses in the reception rooms. The fireplaces – one of which has a shell surround similar to fireplaces in Castletown House – are still there, as are the sash windows and pitch pine floors.

Mature gardens
At the end of a long driveway lined with mature chestnut, sycamore and beech trees, Coonagh House stands, graciously proportioned at 247sq m (2,658sq ft). The property has three reception rooms which are bathed in light thanks to the large bay windows, complete with original shutters, which overlook the paddocks and gardens.

A new country-style kitchen lies to the rear and has access to a cobbled courtyard with three stables, one of which has been converted into a gym. This could, along with an old barn, be converted into further accommodation should new owners wish to expand.

Upstairs are five bedrooms, three of which are good-sized doubles with dual-aspect windows and original pine flooring. A family bathroom completes this level.

Coonagh House, on three acres of mature gardens, and just 35 miles from Dublin, is a fine home steeped in history. It was purchased in 2005 for €850,000. Today, with an asking price of almost half that amount, it is sure to attract much interest.