Dublin 6/ €3m: A Victorian redbrick on leafy Lesson Park has many period features and lots of properly organised space. Bernice Harrison reports
Ireland's first lady of PR Mary Finan is selling her home on Leeson Park, Dublin 6, a terraced Victorian redbrick directly across the road from the offices where she made her name as a director of the Wilson-Hartnell agency.
After nearly 25 years in the fine period redbrick she is downsizing and the house at 45 Leeson Park is for auction through Davin with a guide price of €3 million.
It's a beautiful home, full of art and light and, with 275 sq m (2,761 sq ft), the five-bedroom house has a tremendous feeling of space.
It's also in walk-in condition and decorated in a restrained, understated style that suits its elaborate cornice work, original marble fireplaces and high ceilings.
There are two elegant interconnecting reception rooms at hall level and these are mirrored down at garden level by two more interconnecting rooms, an informal livingroom to the front and an eat-in kitchen at the back. Also down at garden level is a large utility room, guest toilet and the fifth bedroom. Depending on their needs, new owners may chose to use this pretty room which has access to the garden as a playroom or a home office.
There are three bedrooms on the first floor, two to the front, one to the back. The main bedroom has a large en suite and to get to it you walk through a fantastically well-appointed dressing area lined with custom-built shelves, drawers and wardrobes space.
Her reputation as an ace organiser extends to her living accommodation and there is excellent storage in large cupboards tucked away on every level.
The other bedroom to the front is a single and the bedroom at the back, a large double. The fifth bedroom is at the top of the house in the return.
One level down is the family bathroom, complete with a freestanding scroll top bath, and there is a well-appointed study in the hall floor return.
The 29-metre long back garden was landscaped a dozen years ago and it is maturing very well with separate areas paved to catch the sun at various times of the day. There is rear access to Winton Road.
A door underneath the tall flight of granite steps leading up to the front door provides access to the garden level.
The front garden is mostly gravelled and there is off-street parking on this very leafy Dublin 6 road for three cars.