There was a time when Shrewsbury Road outranked the best of Beverly Hills and even Via Suvretta in St Moritz, when it was deemed to be the sixth most expensive street in the world, back in 2007.
Though prices have not quite reached the dizzying heights of that time (when the erstwhile baron of Ballsbridge Seán Dunne paid €58 million for Walford in 2005), the allure of this pleasant tree-lined avenue in the centre of the embassy belt has never diminished.
Of the 32 houses on Shrewsbury Road, 13 are listed on the Property Price Register as having sold since 2010. These transactions include the sale of Lissadell for €13.25 million in 2021 (the sale of which was recorded in Irish, a move which very nearly saw it remain below the radar), and the sale of Walford on two occasions. In the first instance, the property was sold for €14 million in 2013 to Yesreb Holdings, a Cypriot company owned by Sean Dunne’s son, John, and held for the benefit of John and his three siblings. In 2016 it was sold again for €14.25 million to another trust, Celtic Trustees, which was set up by Dermot Desmond for the benefit of his children.
Taking second place on the most sought-after and expensive homes ranking are those on adjacent Ailesbury Road. Between the two, properties changing hands here could be said to serve as a barometer of the wealth and success of the homeowners. Billionaire financier Dermot Desmond, telecoms tycoon Denis O’Brien, property developer Pat Crean and aviation leasing giant Avolon’s chief executive, Dómhnall Slattery, are just some of those who call the more celebrated Shrewsbury Road their home.
Ailesbury Road is also the main artery of the embassy belt; at one stage 11 ambassadors resided and entertained in the period piles along this road.
So when a property appears for sale on a site that intersects these two roads, heads will turn and there’ll be lots of chatter – especially among developers – to see if there’s an opportunity to be had.
Such interest will undoubtedly be prompted by the latest offering from Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty. It’s a tale of two parts really, as there are two houses on the site, which measures a considerable 1.8 acres in total.
First up is Killead, a superb, detached Edwardian pile dating from 1903 and home to the current residents for the past 45 years. It sits on a sprawling 1.4-acre site, with its entrance, in addition to 400ft of road frontage, on Shrewsbury Road. Its substantial and private grounds are as impressive as the house itself (though internal images do little justice). The grounds include a tennis court and a summer house within mature gardens laden with colourful herbaceous borders, flanked by towering trees that serve to shield it from the outside world.
Despite measuring 530sq m (5,489sq ft), Killead feels more homely than stately, with a good measure of charm thrown in. It’s full of ornate period details including magnificent arts-and-crafts carvings in the mantelpiece in the drawingroom, with a floor-to-ceiling chimney piece. Of equal interest is the timber panelling in the diningroom which gives a Tudoresque feel to the place.
At the house’s core is a country-style kitchen off of which lie drawing, dining and living rooms with later additions in the form of a sunroom, conservatory and cinema. Upstairs are four/five bedrooms (one is laid out as a study) accessed by two sets of staircases.
Outside, it’s like you’re miles from anywhere, and there’s a bucolic feel to the gardens, which provide colour year round. Here you can take a seat on the patio, close your eyes and listen to the soothing sound of the water trickling from the fountain at the centre of the lawn.
The second property on this site is The Grove (formerly Mulcaire), at number 40A Ailesbury Road. Its entrance lies directly opposite the French embassy and the property has 450ft of road frontage on to Ailesbury Road. Originally developed more than 45 years ago, this house was sold off before Killead was purchased by its current residents. It appeared on the market under the name Mulcaire three years ago and was bought by Killead’s owners for €3.3 million.
A tiny path with a break in the fence behind the tennis court connects the two properties. The Grove measures 250sq m (2,691sq ft), has five bedrooms and four reception rooms and lies on 0.4 of an acre. Given its location, it could command rental income of about €10,000 a month.
“This has to be considered Ireland’s premier residential site,” says David Byrne, managing director of Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, who is handling the sale. “The opportunity to acquire a private estate of approximately 1.8 acres with extensive road frontage and access on to the two most prestigious residential roads in Dublin will never be repeated,” he adds.
Given the prestigious address and privacy demanded by both vendors and potential buyers, Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty are offering both properties for sale by private tender in one or more lots. Lot 1 comprises Killead and its 1.4 acres of gardens; Lot 2 consists of The Grove, 40A Ailesbury Road, and its 0.4-acre site; and Lot 3 comprises the entire.
The tender closing date is October 30th, by which time all offers need to be with the agent before 12pm. While the asking prices have not been set, based on comparable sales on both Shrewsbury and Ailesbury roads, offers for Killead and its 1.4 acres of gardens are expected to be in excess of €15 million, while the Grove and its 0.4-acre site is expected to command in excess of €4 million. The entire, meanwhile, would be expected to see offers in the region of €20 million.
While Killead and The Grove would certainly make for fine family homes, it is quite possible that someone will at least look to run the rule over this site’s development potential, either for the construction of two new substantial dwellings or indeed a bespoke residential enclave akin to The Collection, which was developed on the grounds occupied formerly by the Chester Beatty Library on Shrewsbury Road.
Anyone with such grand designs, however, would want to think carefully before they buy, as any proposal for the site would invariably come in for close scrutiny and potentially robust opposition from local residents.
