The Lakehouse, 6 Claremont Road, Howth, Co Dublin
Status: Brought to market in April by Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €3.6 million. It was sold in September for €3.2 million, according to the Property Price Register (PPR).
Architectural gems are my thing, and houses right beside the sea would also (imaginary budget allowing) most definitely be my thing. The Lake House in Howth is a place of absolute wonder, hemmed between its own lake and the endless stretch of Burrow Beach, which overlooks Ireland’s Eye.
The back garden is knitted into the dunes, with specific decks on which to enjoy a tipple of your choice. It also has an outdoor terrace at the end of the extensive living area that faced west to catch sunsets; the roof of the terrace was carved in the shape of a keel, to honour the owner’s legacy of sailing.
Inside, the living areas are well considered, with a long sittingroom graduating into a Snaidero kitchen. The house splits into two levels, with a study set between them on the landing. The views from The Lake House over the sea were staggering, and it was clear that the previous owner had loved every minute of living there. Read our full review here. – Miriam Mulcahy
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Linziestown House, Tomhaggard, Co Wexford
Status: Listed in June 2024 at €1.75 million through Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes & Sherry FitzGerald Radford. Achieved in excess of its asking price, according to selling agent John Radford. It appears on the Property Price Register as having sold for €1.35 million in October 2024, which accounts for the house on one acre. The remainder of land, almost 27 acres, was sold separately.
Situated along Wexford’s historic Norman Way, this Georgian residence dates all the way back to 1801. Though described on the National Built Heritage website as “a farmhouse”, the five-bedroom pile extends to a considerable 483sq m (5,198sq ft). Lying on almost 30 acres, the grounds have two paddocks, four stables and a hay barn likely to have attracted those who wish to entertain equestrian pursuits.
In addition to its pristine condition, as owners who had lived there since 1997 had restored it fully to its former glory, there is a restored coach house, offering a large livingroom and games room. Add to this a 13m swimming pool and its proximity to a number of beaches and golf courses, along with access to fresh fish at nearby Kilmore Quay, and you can understand why it was on the market for such a short time. Read our full review here. – Elizabeth Birdthistle
Lynam Cottage, Cronroe, Ashford, Co Wicklow
Status: On the market through Sherry FitzGerald Catherine O’Reilly since October, seeking €695,000.
Lynam Cottage has been my favourite house reviewed by The Irish Times this year, not just for its postcard-perfect exterior, light-filled interior and stunning surroundings, but for the fact that it introduced me to the story of its namesake – the author, journalist, linguist and administrator Joan (Shevawn) Lynam.
Elizabeth Birdthistle’s research into Lynam, who bought and refurbished the cottage in the 1960s, painted a portrait of a fascinating woman who worked for Alfred Hitchcock, worked and wrote for various media outlets, and who was passionate about Basque independence and found herself banned from Spain for a time because of it. She put her knowledge of the region into a novel, The Spirit and the Clay, which she set during the Spanish Civil War.
Lynam wrote her second book, Humanity Dick – a biography of eccentric TD Richard Martin – no doubt surrounded by the rolling Wicklow hills at the cottage. And today, following a thorough renovation by its current owners, Lynam Cottage is an idyllic retreat – the envy of writers and artists alike. It also incorporates some of my favourite interior features, such as a checkerboard floor at its entrance, skylights in the living areas and a window seat overlooking the countryside. Read our full review here. – Jessica Doyle
Seagrange, Sandycove Avenue East, Sandycove, Co Dublin
Status: Brought to the market by Sherry FitzGerald seeking €10 million in September, and went sale-agreed that month, according to the selling agent. The selling price has yet to be confirmed, and it has yet to appear on the Property Price Register.
Hidden away down a long driveway off Sandycove Avenue East, this very private period home on three-quarters of an acre of gardens that run down to the sea is a few minutes’ walk from the Forty Foot and Joyce Tower.
The 594sq m (6,394sq ft) five-bedroom villa-style detached house, built in 1840, was effectively rebuilt and completely modernised over the past 24 years. Inside, it’s all bright, modern and warm (it has a B3 Ber), with rooms opening on to terraces that look over the formal gardens to the sea. A separate two-storey studio mews is accessed from Sandycove Lane. Read our full review here. – Frances O’Rourke
5 Palmerston Villas, Rathmines, Dublin 6
Status: On the market with Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty since September, seeking €3.8 million.
It may seem obvious to choose a very large period property in Rathmines as the home that stood out for me in 2024, but it wasn’t the sheer size of it or the Dublin 6 address that impressed me most, it was how the house was lived in.
This six-bedroom home, measuring 410sq m (4,413sq ft), is set out over three floors, with every corner in use. For the last 22 years it has worked around family life, so there were no rooms that were kept out of bounds for visitors’ eyes only. The ground-floor level adapted to every stage, from toddlers to teenagers. The reception rooms are both refined and relaxed, with the shuttered sash windows facing out to Brookfield Tennis Club. And the beauty of it all is that number 5 has not lost an ounce of its period charm along the way.
Here’s hoping it goes to another family that will fill each room with life and love. Read our full review here. – Alison Gill
3 Victoria Lane, Rathgar, Dublin 6
Status: Came to the market with Knight Frank in September seeking €2.1 million. Property is still on the market, but under offer.
This semidetached end-terrace house was one of three Regency-style houses inspired by the developer Gerry Walsh’s love of the musical Oliver! and the famous Who Will Buy scene, set at a Regency terrace in Bath. To him, it symbolised beauty and harmony, and he sought to recreate homes with the same style and flair, taking years to assemble plots of land until he could build the terrace.
Every corner, every space, every window and door was drawn and redrawn up to 200 times, and the meticulous attention to detail means every room, lobby and hallway works. The garden received the same exigent level of oversight, with each limestone slab on the patio individually chosen, pleached pear trees, and every bit of outside hardware, such as the downpipes, are of the highest quality.
Walsh installed a Snaidero kitchen not just on the ground level, which has an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area and a pretty sittingroom to the front, but also in the utility room in the basement, along with a gym and home cinema.
I particularly love the elegance of the stairs and its long mahogany banister running continuously over the house’s three floors. Read our full review here. – Miriam Mulcahy
23 Elgin Road and 1 & 2 Clyde Lane, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Status: On sale through Knight Frank since October, seeking €7.75 million.
Imagine the perfect weekend: your best friends are in Dublin to watch Ireland beat the All Blacks at the Aviva Stadium in Ballsbridge. After the match you repair to Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip’s pub The Bridge 1859 for a few celebratory scoops, followed by a steak dinner in Roly’s Bistro. Then it’s all back to your new abode at number 23 Elgin Road, where the party really gets started.
This four-bed Victorian home in the heart of Dublin’s embassy belt, and done up to the nines by interior designer Jane Gilloway, is the perfect place for entertaining guests in style. You can put your friends and their families up in two luxury bedroom suites in the side extension, and in the two substantial detached modern mews houses at the end of the back garden.
Gilloway has added plenty of showstopping touches to the elegant period home, including antique cast-iron radiators, Jacobean stained-timber floors and, in the kitchen/breakfastroom, Paonazzo honed marble worktops.
With a spacious media room, pool table, fully equipped bar, wine room and integrated sound system, it offers all the ingredients for a marvellous party – and a luxurious lifestyle. Read our full review here. – Kevin Courtney
Montereau Lodge, Seafort Parade, Blackrock, Co Dublin
Status: Brought to market by Sherry FitzGerald in June seeking €2.45 million. It went sale-agreed for over the asking price in August, says Michael Grehan of Sherry FitzGerald.
An end-of-terrace Victorian five-bed with a pale pink exterior in an enclave of otherwise mostly redbrick homes off Rock Road, opposite Blackrock College, was at various times a school “for the education of young ladies”, a Protestant boarding house and also the home of a famous Irish bell-maker. It sold relatively quickly – overlooking Blackrock Park, the Dart line and the sea, its location was likely a strong selling point.
Built in 1844, but Georgian in style, with bow windows and nearly floor-to-ceiling multi-paned new sash windows, Montereau had been modernised, with smart new bathrooms and kitchen – but there was still room to revamp the basement and a garage beside the house. Read our full review here. – Frances O’Rourke
Croxteth, 43 Strand Road, Sutton, Dublin 13
Status: Brought to the market in February 2024 with an asking price of €1.75 million. It was later listed at €1.5 million for auction, where it sold for €1.675 million according to selling agent Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty.
This lovely two-storey, four-bay 260sq m (2,800sq ft) Victorian structure dates from 1895 and lies along one of the quietest roads in Sutton. It retains some unusual decorative embellishments of Indian accent, such as it ogee-headed arches to the veranda, as described on Fingal County Council’s record of protected structures.
While its architectural origins have been lost to the annals of time, its Indian connection was presumed to be due to the fact that its first resident was a Dutch sea captain, with links to the Dutch East Indies and the East India Trading Company. And, although it would benefit from some upgrading, it has spectacular details such as elaborate window mouldings and striking cornicing.
But what impressed most was its location, overlooking the sea with super views from rooms to the front. In addition, its southwesterly aspect allows for spectacular sunsets from these rooms, as the property is angled to maximise its expanse of views across Dublin Bay. It had been home to the Beshoff fish and chip family since 1978, until it sold earlier this year. Read our full review here. – Elizabeth Birdthistle
Tinnahinch, Plunkett Avenue, Foxrock, Dublin 18
Status: For sale through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty since August, seeking €7.5 million.
If you want to be lord of the manor in your own big estate, you usually have to head out to the countryside, but Tinnahinch is a classic country pile transplanted into the south Dublin suburb of Foxrock. This expansive Georgian-style home is built to the highest standards, with period features including Flemish bond facade, Portland stone sills and bespoke oak joinery. There’s a grand entrance hall and gallery landing, richly appointed reception rooms, spacious kitchen/diningroom and luxurious bedrooms.
What really completes the idyllic picture is the 1.7 acres of lush gardens landscaped in the style of 19th-century Irish gardener William Robinson, who pioneered the move away from formal gardens to a wilder, more naturalistic style. The gardens are a magical mix of native and exotic plants, with winding paths, wooden bridges, tumbling waterfalls and serene lily ponds, with numerous spots to relax, read a book or dine al fresco. Read our full review here. – Kevin Courtney
