When one of Ireland’s most historic landmarks is the backdrop to your property, it would be a shame not to make it a feature. For the owners of number 17 Emmet Road, finding a way to incorporate the views of Kilmainham Gaol into the renovations was high on their list.
The Dublin 8 house was built in about 1845, so it was always going to be a case of mixing old with new. When the owners bought the house, it was in its original form, which was both a good and bad thing. There was damp on the walls and some floorboards and joinery were rotten, but all the period features were still intact, so it was more a case of restoring than replacing.
To bring the prison into the picture, a new two-storey extension was added to the back of the property with plenty of glazing, along with a balcony, to maximise the views of the historic building. This brought the floor area of the house, which is now on the market with DNG guiding €945,000, up to 167sq m (1,797sq ft).
“We wanted to keep the period property as true to its original as possible. I don’t like to reproduce that in a new build,” says the owner. “So the extension at the back was always going to be more modern. If the builders back in 1845 had the opportunity to do what we can do today, they would have done it. It’s nice to bring old properties into today’s world while also respecting their period heritage.”
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The entrance hall and the two reception rooms at the now B3-rated house remain true to the property’s origin. The ornate plasterwork in the archway and over the doors has been beautifully restored. The livingroom at the front of the property has a bay window and cast-iron fireplace. Double pocket doors open up into the sittingroom, with coving and a chandelier.
Steps in the hall lead up to the extension where the kitchen is. The room is lit up by a full glass wall at the back in the form of a sliding door and two windows above, as well as Velux windows on the roof. The door leads out to balcony where the views of the trees and the prison behind them can be best appreciated.
The layout downstairs has also changed greatly. The owners dug out about two feet of ground to allow for more ceiling height. It was also extended so there are now three double bedrooms and two bathrooms on this floor.
The bedroom to the front has its own entrance, so no doubt it would be popular with older teens, or ideal for a home office if clients needed to come and go without going through the house.
The main bedroom is at the back with an en suite and a sliding patio door out to the garden. The middle bedroom was designed as a nursery so connects with the main bedroom, but the mirrored door that links the rooms can be locked to keep them both private.
The residents have access to a lane at the back of the terrace, with many parking their cars here. The owners put double gates at the back of the garden, so taking their car in was always an option, although it is something they have never had cause to do.
The location in the heart of Dublin 8 is something the owner and her family will miss when they move on.
“I love looking out to the trees at the back,” she says. “I often sit on the balcony with a coffee in the morning and look out to the jail. You would never know you’re in the middle of the city.
“At night the road is really quiet, but there is good atmosphere during the day, with St Pat’s football grounds up the road and concerts in Kilmainham Hospital during the summer. There’s a real buzz about the place.”
