The estate agent James Galvin has some interesting rental apartments on his books these days. One is a penthouse on Hanover Dock, in Dublin 2, asking €5,000 per month, which we understand belongs to “someone in the music industry”. Could the landlord be the Edge, aka U2’s Dave Evans, we wonder. It’s well known that he has a penthouse there, but Galvin refuses to confirm or deny.
The three-bedroom, four- bathroom 2,000sq ft apartment – which Galvin, who runs Galvin Property Finance, says in his description on Daft is “ LUXURY, LUXURY, LUXURY!” – comes with an enormous roof garden with spectacular views and two parking spaces.
As you’d expect, there’s private access by lift directly to the apartment, and security cameras are installed outside. The look is all clean lines, white walls and sleek surfaces, with a few splashes of colour provided by Andy Warhol-style pictures of Muhammad Ali and Abraham Lincoln in the living room.
NOT SO MINIMALIST is another property on Galvin’s books, Holyrood Castle, in Holyrood Park in Sandymount, Dublin 4.
“This apartment must be seen,” says Galvin in his +marketing blurb for the property, although it is more of a town house than an apartment, as it’s spread over four floors. It is asking €3,200 per month, reduced yesterday from €3,500 .
What he should have said is that it must be seen to be believed, given the studded white-leather walls in the living room, the mirrored ceilings in the bedroom and dazzling gilt walls in the bathroom.
We wonder if instead of renting it someone should consider slapping a preservation order on it as a monument to Celtic Tiger chic.
Galvin also says in the brochure that the property “sets a standard rarely found in Dublin’s apartment market.”
No exaggeration there.
It begs some questions. Who owns a place like this? Has Peter Stringfellow being hiding out in Sandymount all this time? Or is it a tongue-in-cheek tribute to a lost era? Galvin is remaining tight-lipped about the owner’s identity except to say it is someone in the hospitality industry.
Apparently there has been some interest in the property from someone from a Middle Eastern embassy, looking at it as a possible ambassador’s residence.
The three-storey-over-garden- level castellated property has a roof garden with 360-degree views. It also has three “exceptionally large” bedrooms, all with walk-in wardrobes and en-suite bathrooms; a bar; a big sauna; and a Jacuzzi with a seating area leading to the decked roof area, which has built-in garden furniture and a patio with wine cooler and fridges.
“It’s really a very cool house,” says Galvin, “as is the penthouse on Hanover Dock. I haven’t seen anything as well done as those two in a long time.”
