When it was launched in October 1999, the housing development at St Gabriel’s in Cabinteely was one of the most expensive schemes in south Dublin that year. By the time of the launch 15 of the houses had pre-sold and were already occupied.
Number 15 was purchased by Niamh McHenry, who ran property staging company Ready for Sale until 2019, and has now moved into interior design.
Her home, despite being 23 years old – with the exception of the tiles in the kitchen and conservatory – looks brand new. The front brick exterior with tall windows framed in contrasting stonework and a veranda-style porch has aged well and is testament to good design.
The five-bedroom house over three levels extends to a considerable 246sq m (2,648sq ft) and is near the village of Cabinteely. It has been “an excellent base” for McHenry and her family since they purchased the house in 2000. She says some of her neighbours “did the open-plan thing” but she chose to keep the original footprint of the house instead, opting to install a set of double doors between the kitchen and the diningroom (and closing up the redundant door from the diningroom to the hall). In the generous en suite upstairs she added a double vanity unit, a Jacuzzi bath and a big walk-in shower. The remaining changes have been cosmetic, such as landscaping the back garden.
The property has four reception rooms: a family room to the front, opposite a large livingroom that opens into the diningroom (with new access to the kitchen). There is also a sunroom to the rear, opposite the eat-in kitchen.
When McHenry arrived to number 15, she and her partner had a two-year-old and now, with three adult children and two dogs, they are off to realise their dreams with the renovation of an old barn and farmhouse in Co Wexford. “I think Covid re-educated us about working from home, and this farmhouse has been a lifelong dream,” she says.
Of number 15 she says: “It’s a real family home at St Gabriel’s and has been a fantastic place to raise kids. As it’s in a safe cul-de-sac, children were always running in and out of the house – like the old-fashioned way to grow up – and the children’s friends still call over after all these years.”
The property is close to numerous schools such as Loreto and Hollypark in Foxrock, while there are lots of sports and recreational facilities nearby.
With a Ber of B3, the detached house is in walk-in condition, with double side access and new carpets. It is on the market through estate agent Vincent Finnegan, seeking €1.15 million.
