The first time Rathlin, an elegant Victorian pile on Killarney Road in Bray, featured in The Irish Times was more than a century ago. In 1914 the detached property – constructed about 1895 – came up for sale along with its neighbours Abington, Ardara, Parknasilla and Claragh. Clearly the builder/developer was familiar with the west of Ireland, given houses offered for sale were called after picturesque spots in the counties of Kerry, Limerick and Donegal.
Even today, despite its location on the town end of Killarney Road, the 294sq m (3,165sq ft) pile feels far from the bustling main street, as its half-acre elevated site is surrounded by mature trees providing a bucolic feel. In its day the property, designed by architect John Leslie O’Hanlon (who lived at nearby Ardara), would have had views to Bray Head from rooms to the rear, while a sweeping view of both Dublin and Wicklow mountains would have been visible from rooms to the front.
It last came to the market in 2017 when it was offered for sale seeking €1.2m and later sold for €960,000, according to the Property Price Register. Though previous owners called the five/six-bedroom house their home for the guts of three decades, and undertook refurbishments, it bears little resemblance to what is on offer today, such have been the extensive renovations carried out in 2018 and 2019.
Its new Ber of C1 is far more telling of works carried out behind its distinctive redbrick facade. This is quite an achievement, given the retention of period details.
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Going right back to bare walls (ground- and first-floor walls soar to 11ft in height) included a full rewire and replumb of the house, not to mention new double-glazed sash windows and restoration of period features and some original flooring.
Today it’s a house with beautifully preserved period features – including marble fireplaces, doors and hardware, ceiling roses, cornicing and impressive tiling in the hallway. Now married with all modern conveniences including underfloor heating and five bathrooms, it has all the bells and whistles for contemporary living.
Set behind electric gates flanked by castellated gateposts, the only part of this property visible from the road is part of a large detached garage – such is the privacy the property offers.
Its entrance, positioned to the side, allows for two hallways and a porch. Two fine reception rooms in the form of a study and drawingroom overlook the front lawn, while a new kitchen lies to the rear (also at hall level). A conservatory, shower room and well-thought-out utility room lie at this level, as does a substantial playroom. Due to its size and the fact that it opens to the rear garden, this room suits a myriad of uses.
Upstairs on the first floor, two bedrooms lie to the front, both of which have fine bay windows echoing reception rooms downstairs. The principal, with tobacco-striped walls, has an en suite and dressing area, while two further bedrooms (one en suite) and the family bathroom also occupy this level. On the return is a fifth bedroom that also has the benefit of a dressingroom and en suite.
Outside, the half-acre site is a rarity, with just a handful of properties in the area having such sizeable gardens. Currently laid out with mature trees and shrubs including montbretia, hydrangea and cottage roses, given the space, there’s huge scope to develop gardens further.
Despite its proximity to the town, it becomes a sleepy tree-lined road in the evenings with the sound of birdsong, and the bells of the local Christ Church are described as “having one of the finest peals in the whole of Great Britain and Ireland” on its website.
Rathlin, an elegant private pile in turnkey condition, has now been launched to the market through DNG seeking €1.75 million.
