Dating to 1840, Eglinton House, on Eglinton Park in Dún Laoghaire, is a lovely house. It has that old-world charm with a mixture of high-ceilinged reception rooms – laid out with sumptuous antiques sourced from Johnston Antiques on Francis Street on the middle level – balanced with the cosy feeling of the rooms at basement level, which have lower ceilings with warmth from Charleston Gray Farrow & Ball paint.
It was home to the Beamish family at the turn of the last century, notably Ella Wright Beamish, daughter of David Gregory Beamish. Just after she wed Charles Evans, they travelled to London, where he was to begin a new position with Guinness – aboard the RMS Leinster, the Steam Packet Company steamship that was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine, claiming the lives of 569 people. It remains the greatest loss of life in the Irish Sea and the highest death toll on any Irish-owned vessel.
Eglinton House was last sold 11 years ago to its current owners who rewired, reroofed and replumbed the property. In addition, they upgraded the kitchen which benefits from an Aga and a lovely Lacanche, the high-end French stove maker. They also had an island made by Rhatigan and Hick and sourced Silestone to sit on top of the island by stonemasons M Roe and Sons in Cabinteely, Dublin. They also added old pitch pine strips to the ceiling: “It used to get really hot in the summer as it was all glass, but now it’s cooler in summer, while it also keeps the room cosy in winter,” say the owners, who are downsizing to Co Wicklow. The pine ceiling is easily removed should new owners wish – but it gives the place a lovely feel.
There is lots of storage here at basement level too, in the area surrounding the dining table that holds many bowls and has handmade cupboards lying flush with the wall. The north-south orientation of this level – which has its own entrance under the imposing granite steps to the front – means the area is bathed in light.
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Inside the main hallway, flanked by Doric columns to the front, are two very impressive reception rooms, both of which are dual aspect with views to the gardens. The use of monumental mirrors at each side of the fireplace in one of the drawingrooms shows exactly how these pieces can work to create the illusion of an even larger and grander room – though they are both grand and spacious as is.
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Details such as intricate coving, window shutters, marble fireplaces and a leaded fan light all add to the charm of the 314sq m (2,412sq ft) house.
On the return is a cosy library and a shower room, while four fine bedrooms lie upstairs, the principal of which is most impressive and has an en suite with a cast-iron slipper bath.
One of the real selling points, besides the well-appointed house are the gardens. Extending to a third of an acre, there are lovely green spaces to both the front and back.
When the family purchased the property the back garden was laid out as a lawn, so they engaged Outdoor Living and Landscaping, who they describe as “amazing”, to take their ideas and bring them to fruition. What they added was essentially a Victorian garden with lots of agapanthus and African lilies framed by box hedging while jasmine was planted for its heady summer scents that complement the old heritage roses that are there for years. In addition, gardens have apple, plum and evergreen oak trees and a lovely magnolia overlooks the granite steps to the front, while a new yew hedge allows for privacy.
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A further plus is the property has an 83sq m (893sq ft) mews in the back garden, which has a studio warmed by a stove upstairs should further accommodation be required.
“When we first arrived here we felt we were in the countryside,” say the owners. Indeed, it is highly unusual to have a third of an acre of well-stocked gardens just a 10-minute walk from the main street in Dún Laoghaire. The property in turnkey condition is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.25 million.
