History runs deep beneath the foundations of Fortfield House in Clonard, Co Meath. The site on which the property — a contemporary six-bedroom house — is located is also home to the Clonard Motte, which was constructed by a Norman lord, Hugh de Lacy, in 1177, after the Norman invasion.
The well-known Norman landmark, located east of the Clonard River, is an artificial mound originally built for a keep, of wooden or stone construction; it is now topped with a lime tree and flanked by a bailey (a kidney-shaped enclosure protected by ditches and embankments). But 600 years before the Norman motte and bailey, the area was home to St Finnian, who tradition regards as one of Ireland’s great monastic pioneers.
In the sixth century, it was home to one of the most distinguished seats of learning in Ireland, with students from all over the island, Britain, Germany and France. Students at one time numbered above 3,000, which helped spread knowledge from here to the surrounding countryside.
The current owners purchased the site in 2008, and engaged Imagen Architects to design their dream home. The brief was to create a contemporary home for a young family, making the most of the views and the 18 acres of historical land.
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The fact that the site is higher at one end allowed for a split-level home. The front door is now at first-floor level as the house is inverted, whereby the main living areas are upstairs, so bringing in the shopping doesn’t require a climb up the stairs.
Inside a dramatic double-height entrance hall, the open-plan dining/living/kitchen — with Neff appliances and a smart InSinkErator — is the house’s focal point. It’s not hard to see why. From here views of the surrounding countryside are dramatic through floor-to-ceiling windows. From the living area, two huge sliding doors open out to one of the real selling points of the house: a superb elevated deck. Here a gas firepit keeps the occupants warm on starry nights, while a large electric awning keeps the midday sun away — and also allows occupants to view the outdoor television — but to be honest it would be hard to concentrate, given the views of the natural landscape. There’s also a barbeque area, a dining spot and a place to sunbathe so new owners will probably never use the inside rooms in warm weather.
Downstairs, the principal bedroom opens out to a private terrace with five further bedrooms, a laundry room and two bathrooms also at this level.
The grounds, now private as all trees have matured, will be of interest to equine enthusiasts as the 18 acres have four post-and-rail paddocks with seven loose horse boxes in a solid wood stable yard. Further facilities include an open hay and machinery store and tack room, and the owners have bred thoroughbred horses on the grounds for the past couple of years.
Small touches such as the use of Liscannor flagstones in a home bar, to echo the old stone walls around the property, along with high-tech media, alarms and lights show the attention to detail within its generous 480sq m (5,167sq ft) of floor space.
The owners are downsizing to a degree, as much of their business and schooling for children is in Mullingar, so they have placed their contemporary home, which has an impressive Ber of B2, on the market through joint agents Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes and Sherry FitzGerald Davitt and Davitt seeking €1.35 million.
