The day before Ireland are due to take on Scotland in the nearby Aviva, Rosie and Graham Campbell are preparing to host 90 people for lunch and are as cool as a breeze when I arrive on the doorstep of Clogheen, a double-fronted terraced villa on Shelbourne Road. Evidently both the house and its residents are well-accustomed to large gatherings.
Rosie’s long career as an interior designer is obvious as soon as a glimpse is gained of the reception rooms to the front of the house. Striking mirrors sit above the mantels of original fireplaces, dramatic colourful Murano glass chandeliers set the tone for a playful interplay of painted custom cabinetry, pieces of art and mirrored alcoves.
The two front reception rooms with double sash windows are deliberately designed to be interchangeable, to function as a drawingroom or diningroom, whatever the need may be. Another livingroom lies behind the front reception room, it features burnt orange walls and an antique wooden fireplace.
To the right of the hall, the drawingroom has steps leading to the kitchen with an island and an extensive bank of cabinets painted forest-green, with accents of lime green and aubergine appearing in coloured glass splashbacks on the hob and sink.
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A large cream Aga sits in the kitchen, above it, barely noticeable due to the exceptionally high ceilings, hangs a Sheila Maid clothes rack. The kitchen opens up into a games room, with a billiard table, and a dramatic curved wall lined with bookshelves divided into cubes. A New York laundry is housed behind a green panelled door. A small downstairs loo that doubles as a cloakroom lies at the end of the hall on the far side of the curved wall.
French doors from the games room open out to a stunning garden, formal yet relaxed, with a mature collection of trees, including apple and pear trees, weeping willow and bottlebrushes. A patio to the rear is shaded and well-screened, but the focal point of the garden is the water feature, a well-tended pond with fish darting through its shallows.
The first of the 279sq m (3000 sq ft) property’s bedrooms, along with a generous family bathroom, is on the first return. This bedroom overlooking the garden is now used as a home office.
A stairs leads from the return to the first floor with four good-sized doubles, one of which, to the rear of the house, has a shower room beside it. While none of the other three bedrooms are en suite, all rooms have sinks, fitted units, and wardrobes, and one has a decent desk.
With a Ber of D1, new owners may look at upgrading insulation and windows, which are original. The house faces west, but due to the extensive glazing on the apartment complex that replaced the old Berkley Court hotel, gets reflected morning sun as well as the westerly evening light, so the house always feels suffused with light.
Rosie and Graham are downsizing, but staying in the area, which they love with its proximity to the city centre, shops and restaurants. The Dart at Lansdowne is a three-minute walk away. They bought Clogheen 32 years ago and will miss the old house with its serene atmosphere in the heart of Ballsbridge and the garden that felt like a secret with its stone walls and painted doors. Clogheen is for sale through Knight Frank, seeking €2.65 million.
