A large period house on 19 acres in Co Kildare is presented in walk-in condition. Orna Mulcahy reports
Lisney expects bids over €3.5 million for a six-bedroom Georgian house on over 19 acres at Kill in Co Kildare.
Killeen House, which goes to auction on May 12th with joint agents Miley Auctioneers, is sure to attract strong local interest, though it will also appeal to city families looking for a lifestyle change. With large family homes in the top Dublin suburbs considerably up in price over the last 12 months, Killeen House seems comparatively good value.
It's a turn-key property - a house that has been beautifully restored and carefully maintained, with stables and a yard in equally good order. This is good hunting country with the Naas Harriers and Ward Union nearby. The owners' children, now grown up, all hunted with the South County children's hunt.
A long gently curving avenue, awash with daffodils, leads up to the house from the Naas dual carriageway, beside Kill. The railed paddock on the left of the driveway is home to a small herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle, and a couple of horses. To the side of the house is a stable yard, with loose boxes.
The 498 sq m (5,362 sq ft) house has been totally refurbished over the last 12 years in a traditional country house style. There are three fine reception rooms leading off the large entrance hall with its striking limestone floor and opulent red wallpaper.
All three rooms, drawingroom, diningroom and family room have fine period fireplaces, ornate cornicing, polished timber floors and tall sash windows that have been restored by Ventrolla. The diningroom has a concealed door that opens onto a rear hallway leading to the big country-style kitchen with its hand-painted units and oil-fired Aga.
A secondary staircase leads to a lower landing with access to the garden, and down further to the basement where there are lots of useful rooms - a boot room, a utility room, staff quarters, a vast cosy bar and a large gamesroom.
A fine curved staircase leads from the hallway to the first floor, past a double height window giving a delightful view over the back garden. Upstairs, there are five bedrooms, including an exceptionally large main bedroom suite with a fully fitted dressing area and a luxurious en suite bathroom. A large guest bedroom has a shower room, while three further bedrooms share a pretty, Victorian-style bathroom with a cast-iron free-standing bath. The sixth bedroom is at basement level.
The gardens behind the house include a magnificent lily pond, extensive lawns, a belt of woodland with a stream running through it and a fruit garden with pear, apple and plum trees. There is also a tennis court, a sand arena and a disused swimming pool.
