It is said that the village of Rialto, in Dublin 8, takes its name from its single-arch bridge over the Grand Canal. Originally called Harcourt Bridge, it became known as Rialto Bridge due to its resemblance to the Venetian Ponte Di Rialto, according to Dublin City Council’s website, which, one could speculate, may have been declared in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek in tone.
The namesake bridge now accommodates the Luas red line, making the area extremely convenient to the city centre, delivering passengers to Abbey Street in just 15 minutes. It is within walking distance of Inchicore, Kilmainham and the Liberties, offering plenty of dining and socialising options. There are also great food and drink options in Rialto with hot spots such as the Rialto bridge cafe, Daddy’s cafe, the Circular & the Other Hand bar as well as The Cupcake Bloke bakery.
Just around the corner from these amenities are the Rialto Cottages, period dwellings which were part of the original fabric of the area. There are approximately 158 of these cottages, and each one is different, says Sarah, the owner of number 114, who says many owners have extended and reconfigured them over the years.
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Number 114 Rialto Cottages, extending to 67sq m (721sq ft) with two bedrooms and a mezzanine, sits on a quiet, inviting street that homeowners have decorated with potted plants; number 114 also has two pink garden chairs out the front, matching the front door. The street, including cottages 97-117, was recently awarded first prize in the 1-150 dwellings category of Dublin City Council’s South Central City Neighbourhood awards, which recognises work done “to improve and enhance [a] neighbourhood, keeping it clean and well presented”.
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You enter the property into the livingroom, which has a high, vaulted ceiling and a tall exposed-redbrick chimney breast. Sarah, who is quite handy, panelled the walls herself, painstakingly over 10 days, before painting them in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball for a trendy, dusky finish. A bookshelf is built into a nook which would have originally been the back door, she says. The room gets light from a window to the front of the cottage and there is laminate wood flooring underfoot.
The refurbished kitchen/diningroom is in an extension to the rear of the cottage, which is floored with white tiles, laid in a herringbone configuration. The kitchen units have a polished-concrete effect finish with brass-look fixtures. A built-in L-shaped bench makes the most of the space in the dining area, and doubles as extra storage. Sarah had a large roof light installed overhead to allow plenty of light into the room.
A utility space sits off the kitchen/diningroom, where the washing machine and the dishwasher are hidden in cupboards, and a contemporary shower room, which has white marble-effect tiles underfoot and pale-pink tiles in the shower. There is a small outdoor courtyard, visible from the kitchen, and access to a garden shed for further storage.
A double bedroom sits to the front of the cottage, off the livingroom. A single bedroom is also accessed of the livingroom, which gets natural light from a roof light. Once a designated dressingroom, it is now used as a nursery but could also make a great home office.
Up a winding staircase is the versatile mezzanine area. The current owner uses it as a double bedroom but it could also make a great living area, studio or office space, where you could bung a day-bed for occasional visitors. The property has an F Ber, which a new owner may look to address.
This revamped home is likely to appeal to someone looking to live in a vibrant, friendly area, with easy access to the city centre. Number 114 Rialto Cottages is now on the market with Mullery O’Gara, seeking €375,000.
